Why Dallas Mavericks fans should not panic after WCF Game 1 loss to Warriors

Luka Doncic will be better than he was in Game 1 and that means Dallas Mavericks can win

Luka’s numbers from Game 1 do not look good. He struggled from the field, committed seven turnovers, and Dallas lost his minutes by 30 points, but let’s not forget who he is. The 23-year-old superstar shot 38.1 percent in the closeout game of the Jazz series before coming back with 45 points on 15 of 30 shooting to open the Western Conference semifinals. Doncic will be better in the next game.

The Mavericks star played well in the first half of Game 1. He had 18 points on five of 12 shooting from the field, but Golden State was up by nine as Luka’s supporting cast was not making shots. Dallas got desperate as the Warriors' lead grew in the second half, and they did not play their game.

Doncic struggled on the defensive end too as the Warriors involved him in nearly every pick and roll, but the Mavericks have been there before too. The Suns exploited Luka’s defense in Game 2 of their series before Dallas held them to their three lowest scoring performances of the season over the next five games.

It was a bad night for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, but fans should not fret. This team has shown its resilience and ability to make adjustments during this playoff run. They are down 1-0 for the third straight series. The Mavs came back and won the first two. They need Luka to play better, to sink their open looks, and to keep forcing the Warriors into tough shots. Expect all of that to happen in Game 2.