Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks were hammered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, never leading for the whole game right from the opening tip. It was a staggering loss for Dallas fans, who never saw a lead as the Mavs hopelessly tried to stay in the game and even giving up a lot of runs that led to the 18-point loss and the end of their promising season.

In a postgame interview, a reporter asked Doncic how much he was hurting for the whole series, given the fact that he has suffered multiple injuries in their series against Oklahoma City, where Doncic underperformed in most of their games. The Slovenian star was quick to answer with a brutally honest take about his performance in the series.

"It doesn't matter if I was hurt, how much was I hurt. I was out there. Tried to play. I didn't do enough,” said Doncic, who is now 0-1 in the NBA Finals, and fans are

A Struggle to the Finish

Luka Doncic averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in his NBA Finals debut. However, it is worth noting that despite that high scoring surge and all-around performance from the star guard, there has been a lot of talk as to how his game proved to be fatal for the Mavs as well.

For starters, Doncic has been long criticized throughout the NBA Playoffs for his lack of defense. Sure, he can come up with timely steals and blocks, but we have watched the Boston Celtics blow by him with different players time after time in the Finals, which says a lot about his lack of defensive prowess in the game.

Despite leading the Mavericks in all of the stat lines, Doncic has had a tough run in the game. A lethal three-point sniper like him should not have shot 11/45 from deep, and his total 23 turnovers lead Dallas, including 7 in the tough Game 5 loss. Doncic has struggled to play at the top of his game for the whole series, which has led to the defeat at the hands of the Celtics.

What’s Next for Luka Doncic?

Well, Luka still has three years left in his contract with the Dallas Mavericks, which makes it certain that he is slated to stay with the team for at least three more big runs. Doncic stated in his postgame interview that his priority for this summer is to get healthy, earn a chance to come up with big games for Slovenia in the Olympics, and get back to top shape when the season begins.

The Dallas Mavericks won’t have to worry about Doncic leaving, at least for now. But the team has to make sure that they make the right adjustments that will give him the best chance of winning if they want him to stay beyond his current contract.

For now, Doncic has had a taste of the big stage. It is a promising feat for a star at the age of 25, who also happens to be an MVP candidate and an All-Star who recently won the scoring title, and we can expect him to do bigger things in the years to come if he is going to come up with a massive win soon.