‘Do you want me to say we don’t have confidence?’ Luka Doncic jokes as Mavs’ historically bad offense leads to NBA Finals loss

DALLAS Mavericks star Luka Doncic didn’t want to hear any questions about his team’s confidence after a 107-89 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The Mavs struggled on the offensive end of the floor on Thursday night, recording just nine assists in the series opener.

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That’s the lowest total number of coins in an NBA Finals game since 2007, when the San Antonio Spurs defeated LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Mavericks are just the third team in 58 years to finish a Finals game with fewer than 10 assists.

Poor ball movement and shooting efficiency – 41.7% from the floor and 25.9% from 3 – caused Dallas to lose Game 1 for the third time this postseason.

The Mavericks lost 1-0 against the LA Clippers in the first round and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the following series.

Doncic, 25, was reminded of those losses during his postgame press conference and asked how he felt the next day.

“I don’t remember,” said the Slovenian.

“Either you lose or you win. First to four, we have to focus on the next game.”

Doncic was then asked if the Mavericks feel confident knowing they’ve been down 1-0 twice and come back each time.

“Sure,” said the 6-foot guard.

“Do you want me to say we don’t have confidence?”

The five-time NBA All-Star’s response, which he gave with a cheeky smile on his face, elicited a few chuckles in the room.

Doncic finished the night with 30 points, 10 rebounds and one assist.

The Mavericks star didn’t record more than a dime in a game for just the seventh time in his NBA career.

“They play mostly one-on-one,” Doncic said of the reasons behind the Mavs’ alarming offensive totals.

“They send a lot of help. That’s why.”

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd gave Boston credit for botching his team’s offense.

“They did a great job on defense, making it difficult for us,” Kidd said.

“We had a good look that didn’t fall apart. We have to move the ball.

“The ball got stuck too much. And we’ll be better in Game 2.”

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 22 points, six rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks.

Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis shined in his first game since late April, recording 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks off the bench.

Game 1 began with a moving tribute to the late Bill Walton, whose family attended the blockbuster showdown at TD Garden.

The Celtics warmed up in a T-shirt with the NBA icon’s last name emblazoned across the front in a colorful tie-dye font.