Luka Doncic ‘Unlikely’ for Mavs' Game 2? 'History STILL Doesn't Care'
DALLAS - Here's the problem with "history'':
History is stubborn. History is single-minded. History is selfish in the sense that it only cares about ... itself.
The Dallas Mavericks' 99-93 Game 1 loss to the Utah Jazz in Saturday's Game 1 in the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the AAC is without doubt a result of superstar Luka Doncic's left calf strain keeping him in street clothes, something a source suggests to us won't be the case in Monday's Game 2.
That was the Friday feeling, anyway. After a Sunday workout, ESPN is suggesting it’s unlikely that Luka plays Monday.
We shall see. But history STILL doesn't care.
Would Dallas have won a six-point game had Luka - who sports a Jordan-esque playoff scoring average of 33.5, which is actually better than Michael Jordan's 33.4) - somehow limped through it? Probably, but as coach Jason Kidd said going in ...
“With him, it doesn’t guarantee us anything," Kidd said.
Kidd understands what history demands.
It doesn't care that an MVP candidate was hurt.
It doesn't care that Spencer Dinwiddle and Jalen Brunson were gutsy in Luka's stead. (Brunson finished with 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Dinwiddie had 22 points and eight assists.)
"We didn't have enough offensive firepower down the stretch,'' coach Jason Kidd said. ... knowing history doesn't care.
It doesn't matter that Dallas, a five-point underdog here, was within a late-game make here or there of winning.
History doesn't care.
Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Mavs knew they would have their hands full with Jazz star guard Donovan Mitchell (32 points, with Bojan Bogdanovic adding 26) and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Rudy Gobert. And Utah boasts the league's most efficient offense and a top-10 defense. And hey, the Jazz and Mavs split their four matchups in the regular season, with both teams protecting their home court, so there is some vulnerability there as Dallas tries to win a first-round series for the first time since the 2011 title run.
For Monday? Coming into the weekend, Dallas was 20-4 in the last 24 games at AAC, and held its opponents to just 99.7 points per game. ... and hey, as Dinwiddie pointed out, Utah didn't reach 100 here.
But history doesn't care.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Maybe that's how things will play out on Monday. Luka can change everything. But that's about tomorrow. This is soon to be yesterday - history.
And history doesn't care about anything but itself.
History is a bitch.
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