Unlike LeBron James, whose first NBA Finals appearance ended in a sweep, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic helped force a Game 5 in his debut on basketball’s biggest stage

Luka Doncic dominated in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics.

In the fourth year of LeBron James’ professional career, he reached his first NBA Finals before his Cleveland Cavaliers team was ready. As a result, he suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of an in-their-prime San Antonio Spurs.

It had been a heroic run to the NBA Finals for James, one that cemented his status as an all-time great in the making. That 48-point performance in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at The Palace of Auburn Hills remains one of his most iconic. Nevertheless, the sweep against the Spurs blemished his NBA Finals record – which later in his career has been the subject of so much scrutiny.

Luka Doncic, the sixth-year pro now in his first NBA Finals, avoided four consecutive losses on the biggest stage, as the Dallas Mavericks galloped to a 122-84 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday night. They forced a Game 5 – likely only a morale-booster before an inevitable demise. But still, Doncic’s resume avoided a humiliating mark, and that one day might matter to the 25-year-old, who seems bound to finish among the top 75 players in the history of the NBA.

The Slovenian offensive maestro scored 29 points in 33 minutes. Co-star Kyrie Irving registered 21 points in 31 minutes on 10-of-18 shooting.

Boston pulled its starters before the end of the third quarter, allowing Dallas head coach Jason Kidd to follow suit. Doncic and Irving received essential rest before returning to Boston for Game 5. They deserve it.

Doncic responded well after he received withering criticism for his effort level in Game 3, when he fouled out to halt the momentum of a furious Mavericks comeback attempt. Most notably, ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst unleashed a spirited monologue about Doncic not acting like a winner.

“I thought it was perfect that Luka fell onto the ground there in an unacceptable position to put himself in with four minutes left with five fouls, and then immediately looks at the bench and says, ‘You better bleeping challenge it,’” Windhorst said on ESPN. “As if it’s the bench’s fault that he just made a terrible play.”

“I’m standing here in the Mavericks tunnel,” Windhorst continued. “Over there is the Celtics’ tunnel. That’s where the winners are. If Luka is ever going to be a winner coming out of this tunnel here, he’s going to have to use what happened in this Finals as a learning experience.

“His defensive performance is unacceptable. He’s a hole on the court. The Celtics are attacking him. They are ahead in this series because they’ve attacked him defensively.”

On Friday night, Doncic’s defense didn’t matter. His offense, and the offense of Irving, completely disoriented Boston from the opening tip. So he moves on, without the ignominy of an NBA Finals sweep. A reality he may appreciate later in his career.