NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. MAVERICKS

June 11, 2024

Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks

Practice Day

Q. Luka, how are you feeling after Game 2 as far as the chest area is concerned? For you, what have you learned about yourself through the first couple of games, the intensity of the Finals?

LUKA DONCIC: First, I feel good. I don't want to get in any more details. But I feel good.

Second one, the intensity, physicality?

Q. Yes.

LUKA DONCIC: I think it's up a notch, for sure. Both teams played a lot of games throughout the season. But I think the physicality has been on point, for sure.

Q. Did playing for Madrid in '18 prepare you for the Finals, like that atmosphere, or is this totally different?

LUKA DONCIC: I would say it's different. Just being 18 and 25 is a big difference. But it's different games. Here, you play first to four. In the EuroLeague, it's just one game. It's way different.

I wouldn't just say that game prepared me for now. It's throughout my career that prepared me for these moments.

Q. A pass that you made in the third quarter to Exum, it was the behind the back. I was curious, is that something where you actually were able to see him, or do you intuit that that's the spot he's going to be in?

LUKA DONCIC: I saw him before when I started driving. I saw him at that spot. So when I went for the layup, I saw him, I knew he was going to be open.

Q. Dante Exum spent more time playing next to you and Kyrie. Seemed like you were able to play off-ball actions. How helpful is it having him next to you and Kyrie?

LUKA DONCIC: Very helpful. He can dribble the ball. He can play point guard. He can help us both. Save our energy. He can just bring the ball up. He can make plays, too. It's good that he was able to play.

Q. They've been sort of changing their spacing around, trying to make you and Kyrie be the low man, help responsibility more often. What kind of challenge does that present to you to have to do the help defense?

LUKA DONCIC: I mean, our defense built in five guys. Our low man is very important. So no matter who is the low man, we know we going to do a great job. We've worked on this the whole season, preseason.

I've been in that position a lot with the low man. We've been working on it since preseason. We feel confident with that.

Q. You guys obviously wouldn't be here without your role players hitting big shots. Those shots haven't fallen in the first couple games. What do you say to guys, P.J., D. Jones, Maxi, and what sense do you have as far as how they're feeling right now offensively?

LUKA DONCIC: Just one thing: Keep shooting. We all believe in those shots. That's how we came to the Finals. That's how we played the whole season. We believe in those guys. Everybody believes. If you're open, just keep shooting. You're going to knock it down at some point.

Q. Along those lines, you've mentioned confidence and belief. Yes, you guys are home. Boston held serve at home like they're supposed to. What are some of the things that you really can look at from the first two games to say it will work for you, that we're confident in this?

LUKA DONCIC: Just trying to keep getting open looks. I think our defense has not been bad. We can't really score. That's our main problem right now.

But I think we getting some great looks. Like I say, we have confidence everybody can make a shot shooting the ball on our team. We just got to keep believing in it.