NBA

Kristaps Porzingis Reacts on His Fouls, Asserts “You Don’t Want To Play Too Soft When Guys Are Driving”

by
Debdutta Sinha
April 12, 2021

The Dallas mavericks succumbed to a loss against the San Antonio Spurs after DeMar DeRozan sunk a step-back 20-footer. It was a tight game that was decided in the final few seconds as the Spurs walked away with a hard-earned victory.

Kristaps Porzingis has been an influential player for the Mavericks throughout this season. The 25-year-old’s partnership with Luka Doncic has become a source of concern for opposition defenses. However, in this game, Porzingis was fouled out before the end of the game.

His ejection from the game was one of the deciding factors as the Mavericks lost a pivotal plot. Even though other players tried their best to fill in the gaps. They could not do so in time. In the post-game press conference, Porzingis talked about the game and his fouls.

He said, “It is a balance. You don’t want to play too soft and let everybody drive on you. On the other hand, you have to be smart. You also have to make sure that you don’t commit a dumb foul for no reason.”

About the final foul that got him ejected, he said, “That one I wasn’t trying to foul. As I said, I was just trying to get a clean block. He was leaning back a little bit and hit my arm. I have to be smart with it. It is not even about the late-game fouls. There were some that I could’ve been in a better position to avoid.”

Kristaps Porzingis and Doncic not enough as the Spurs sneak a win

Luka Doncic and Porzingis fought valiantly till the buzzer but the Spurs thwarted their efforts in defense. Doncic finished the game with 29 points and seven assists to his name. Apart from him, Porzingis scored 31 points. Moreover, he had a whopping 15 rebounds during the game.

Best half of KP’s career 💪#MFFL | @AcmeBrick pic.twitter.com/1wi7yyK6Zz

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 12, 2021

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle expressed his displeasure after the game. He said, “We’re a team that’s still learning some lessons about keeping our guard up, navigating through a very busy schedule. It’s not an excuse. It’s just a fact. We’ve come a long way.”

The Dallas Mavericks are seventh in the Western Conference standings. At the moment, they are well in contention for the playoffs. However, Rick Carlisle and his men will look forward to improving their position ahead of the business end of the campaign.