Luka Doncic Sets Expectations For Boston Crowd In Celtics-Mavs Finals

BOSTON — Stepping into TD Garden as an opponent is never easy, especially when crossing paths with the Celtics amid their quest for Banner 18.

The Mavericks survived the wild, wild Western Conference this postseason, placing Dallas in a winner-take-all NBA Finals series with the Celtics, who led the league with 37 home wins in the regular season. Few teams have avoided the “Gino Time” walk of shame off the floor in Boston, and historically, many have folded once challenged to perform under the pressures of blocking out the distractions from the always rowdy and passionate TD Garden crowd.

“It’s hard to play in this place,” Mavericks star Luka Doncic said Wednesday at NBA Finals media day. “The crowd is amazing for their team. All I got to say is we got to stay together. It’s us against them. We got to stay together. But it’s going to be really hard to play in this crowd.”

At just 25 years old and with six years of NBA experience, Doncic has impressively managed to fend off whatever the Celtics’ fan base has thrown his way. The five-time All-Star has logged a career average of 32.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in six career trips to Boston’s parquet. Seemingly unfazed by anyone or anything, Doncic even drained a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer when hosting the Celtics during a November matchup in 2021.

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Having undergone the best and worst of crowd receptions in the NBA, Doncic needed to dig deep into his overseas roots when asked about the most rowdy of playing environments.

“It was (the) quarterfinals of EuroLeague against Panathinaikos in Panathinaikos,” Doncic recalled with a smile. “The crowd went crazy. They started winning 20-0. Imagine that.”

Doncic has already guided Dallas to series wins over the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves this postseason, all while averaging 28.8 points on 43.8% shooting from the field.

If Doncic were to need any pointers on avoiding potential distractions in store for him and the Mavericks, Doncic wouldn’t need to look any further than teammate Kyrie Irving; an ex-Celtics guard who went from beloved star to Boston’s biggest villain in a matter of just two seasons.

Irving, who admitted he hasn’t handled the TD Garden hatred the best, from having a water bottle hurled his way to flipping off fans, already knows what to expect come Game 1 on Thursday night.

“I’ve experienced Boston twofold,” Irving said on Wednesday. “My first few years being in the NBA playing for the Cavs, then coming here to Boston, then being right down the street in Brooklyn, now being here in the Finals playing against them in a potential four-to-seven-game series. You just got to breathe through it.”

Easier said than done.