Dallas Mavs' Luka Doncic Ready to Bounce Back from 'Bad Game' vs. New Orleans Pelicans
NEW ORLEANS — Luka Doncic had one of his worst performances in recent memory when the Dallas Mavericks lost 131-110 to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Slovenian superstar recorded 16 points, two rebounds, and two assists in 26 minutes while turning it over eight times and shooting 5-16 from the floor.
"Bad game," Doncic said.
With the Mavs often stressing not to get too high or too low with game-by-game results, Doncic expressed the importance of not getting caught up in how one game went. He looks forward to having a chance to compete for a bounce-back performance.
"People don't understand it's 82 games in the NBA season," Doncic said. "Of course, there will be a bad night, you know? It's the NBA; you have another chance tomorrow."
Doncic was asked if he was surprised by a bad performance "popping up" after the team had started with an 8-2 record through 10 games. He made clear the schedule at large has been challenging, and he felt the team just had a bad game, but it isn't part of a more significant trend.
"It didn't pop up anything," Doncic said. "We had a tough schedule. It's a lot of games going on right now. So, it's just we played bad. That's it."
With Herb Jones back in the lineup after being sidelined for the initial matchup between these two teams, the Pelicans had more talent available to execute their aggressive defensive scheme. They often pressed full-court, were physical in the half-court, and were aggressive in rotating the low man.
"Yeah, I actually like it when they press me. You can see it in the first game," Doncic said. "Today, I wasn't very efficient. I just have to drive. I just have to attack when they pressure me. I kind of like when they pressure me, so I just have to go downhill."
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic versus the New Orleans Pelicans.
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
When asked about him, Doncic praised Jones for his defensive impact, highlighting the difference in the Pelicans' defense in the second matchup compared to when he wasn't available to play in the initial meeting.
“He’s just a great defender," Doncic said of Jones. "You could see his impact today because he wasn’t there the first game. I really admire that guy.”
While it wasn't used as an excuse for an underwhelming performance, the NBA In-Season Tournament playing court was mentioned by Doncic as being "really bad." He felt there were parts on the floor where the ball didn't properly bounce like a traditional court and was slippery in some areas.
"I mean, outside of all of the courts, I think the court today was really bad," Doncic said. "It was really slippery, and in some places, the ball didn't really bounce. If we're going to have these courts, we need to make sure that it's a stable court."
"It was a little slippery, especially the paint area," Doncic explained.
A common theme in the NBA is the opportunity to quickly have the opportunity to bounce back from a poor performance. Doncic looks forward to having that chance against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, but naturally, doing so on the second night of a back-to-back isn't ideal.
"Well, good and bad," Doncic said of the quick turnaround to the next game. "I don't like back-to-backs. It is what it is. But, it's good."
The Mavs will finish their four-game road trip with a matchup against the Wizards on Wednesday before facing the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
