By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Heading to Game 1 of a best-of-seven series opposite the Minnesota Timberwolves, Luka Doncic went into facing Rudy Gobert in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google.
Leading the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, a huge highlight for the Slovenian superstar was connecting a game-winning three-pointer over the French center.
“Since I came to the league, I like to play pick-and-roll,” mentioned the Ljubljana native during a press conference on Thursday, “I like to get a center on me.”
The setting for the next matchup is in the Conference Quarterfinals of the Playoffs. With home-court advantage for the Lakers, after ranking third in the final Western Conference standings of the 2024-25 Regular Season, the series starts in crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
“Obviously, that’s got to be our only goal, and that’s our only goal. I think we have the team to do it. When everybody is locked in, we are a hard team to beat,” the 26-year-old combo guard said on looking to become an NBA champion, “The chemistry is high, so I think we for sure have a chance.”
After 50 previous appearances with the Mavs, Doncic is gearing up for a fifth postseason campaign. Building momentum and strengthening a championship bid for the team guided by JJ Redick over 28 games since a midseason trade to the storied franchise based in Los Angeles, he tallied 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.4 blocks per contest.