Mavs' Kyrie Irving: Luka Dončić 'Made a Few People Eat Their Words' amid Criticism

Luka Dončić faced the strongest media criticism of his career after fouling out late in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals, but he responded with a 29-point effort in Game 4 to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a rousing 38-point win over the Boston Celtics.

Kyrie Irving said Dončić made "a few people eat their words" with his performance:

"I think he made a few people eat their words — in a healthy way. I'll say that — in a healthy way. I don't want to curse up here or anything like that, get into any unnecessary beef, right, between us as players and the media."

"(But) I think this is his first opportunity and first taste of what it's like to be on this stage and to not play up to your capabilities or be out there toward the end of the game where every mistake is magnified. I think that's probably what I'm really referring to, is when every mistake is magnified, there is going to be a response. That's (the media's) job to give us your criticism. We go home and deal with it in a healthy way, hopefully."

"I think with Luka, like I've been reiterating to the guys, stay off social media as best you can, man. Enjoy the moment we're in. It's not about making it this far. It's figuring out the little nuances to get wins on this stage. That's what it's about for us as competitors and that's where our focus should be. He responded very well. I expected it. I think a lot of people expected it, (people) that have seen Luka and known Luka. I just didn't know how it was going to happen. He made some things happen tonight and I was very proud of him. He grew."

The Mavericks locked in on the defensive end in Game 4, holding the Celtics to 36.3 percent shooting from the field. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for just 25 points as the Mavericks avoided a sweep.

Dončić, who has been hobbled by injuries during these playoffs, faced a firestorm of criticism over his defensive effort and attitude after barking at officials and fouling out of Game 3. ESPN's Brian Windhorst ripped Dončić, calling him a "hole on the court" and saying the All-Star's attitude needs to improve if he's ever going to win consistently at the highest level.

While it's unlikely the Mavericks will be able to fully dig themselves out of their 0-3 hole, Dončić seemed to respond to the criticism for at least one game. He was engaged on the defensive end and seemed in better spirits on the floor despite shooting 0-of-8 from three-point range.

The Celtics will be heavy favorites returning to Boston for Game 5 on Monday night, but Dončić and the Mavs proved they can't be counted out just yet.