BOSTON — Luka Doncic didn’t want to talk about the past or the future.
He wanted to live directly in the moment. The harsh moment of agony after suffering a loss in his first NBA Finals appearance. The emotion Doncic felt was sadness, as he described it, which contributed to his brief answers.
When the topic of his participation in the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament came up, Doncic shut down the question before it could be completed.
“I don’t want to talk about what’s next, man. I have some decisions to make,” he said. “I’m just trying to get a little bit healthier. We’ll talk — we have interviews in two days, right? So I’ll give you an answer then.”
The Mavericks conducted exit interviews with players at the conclusion of Monday’s elimination game, so Doncic won’t be available later this week to provide an immediate answer. During last week’s NBA Finals media day, Doncic said he’d like to play if the lingering injury in his right knee will allow him to.
Doncic averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the finals, but struggled from the 3-point line with a 24.4% shooting clip.
He was on Slovenia’s list of 16 candidates for the team that will play in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece starting July 2, two weeks after the Mavericks’ Game 5 loss. Slovenia has an exhibition in Greece against Brazil on June 28, which means Doncic has 10 days to weigh his decision to either forgo playing for his national team or play through the pain.
Twitter: @MikeACurtis
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
