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- New Zealand basks in 'golden 48 hours' after sporting triumphs
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- Dodgers beat Mets to set World Series showdown with Yankees
- Liberty rally to top Lynx in overtime for WNBA title
- US, Canada warships pass through Taiwan Strait
- Asian markets fluctuate as traders digest China rate cut
- Naomi Osaka season over because of injury
- Toll from attack in India-controlled Kashmir rises to seven: reports
- Simmering Bellingham set for Dortmund reunion in Champions League
- World Cup winner Kerr thanks 'grandmas' for T20 inspiration
- Dortmund identity crisis ahead of European rematch with Real Madrid
- China's central bank cuts two key rates to boost economy
- BHP goes on trial in London over 2015 toxic Brazil mine disaster
- Pakistan passes constitutional amendments aimed at courts
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- Celtics seek repeat, Lebron and son unite as NBA season opens
- Poston holds off Ghim for PGA Tour triumph in Las Vegas
- Unbeaten Chiefs march past 49ers, Lions hand Vikings first loss
- Moldova president blames interference for potential EU referendum loss
- King Charles to spotlight conflict, climate in Australian capital
- UN chief seeks 'significant' funding at summit to save nature
- Hurricane Oscar makes landfall in Cuba amid huge power outage
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- Moldovans vote 'no' in referendum on joining EU: partial results
- Lewandowski powers five-star Barca to Sevilla rout
- Lions hand Vikings first loss, Packers down Texans
- In escalation, Israel bombs Hezbollah-linked finance group
- Martinez keeps Inter on Napoli's tail with Roma winner
- Marseille return to form with Montpellier thrashing
- Lula cancels trip to summit in Russia after injuring head
- Cuba girds for Hurricane Oscar with electricity supply still down
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- Browns quarterback Watson exits with Achilles tendon injury
- Liverpool 'showed up' to beat Chelsea challenge: Slot
- 'Once in a lifetime' Kerr leads New Zealand to Women's T20 World Cup triumph
- Pope names 14 new saints, including martyrs of Damascus
- Malinin captures third straight Skate America crown
- Sri Lanka triumph in rain-affected first ODI against West Indies
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- Kerr leads New Zealand to maiden Women's T20 World Cup triumph
- Tens of thousands rally in Georgia for EU ahead of pivotal vote
Finals defeat can be springboard for Mavs: Doncic
Dallas star Luka Doncic was still absorbing the bitter blow of NBA Finals defeat, but one big lesson from the Mavericks 4-1 loss to the Boston Celtics was already clear.
"We've got to fight next season," the 25-year-old Slovenian said, adding that the example of the Celtics themselves -- back in the winner's circle after falling in the finals in 2022 then missing out on the title series last year -- was one to note.
"They're a great team," Doncic said. "They have been together for a long time, and they had to go through everything, so we've just got to look at them, see how they play, (they have) maturity, and they have some great players.
"We can learn from that," Doncic said.
Doncic spearheaded an often sluggish Mavs offense throughout the series, despite playing with nagging knee and ankle injuries and a painful chest contusion.
"It doesn’t matter if I was hurt, how much was I hurt," said Doncic, who scored 28 points in Monday's game-five defeat that saw Boston clinch a record 18th NBA title.
"I was out there. I tried to play, but I didn’t do enough."
Having extended the series with a game-four blowout, Dallas never led on Monday, trailing by double digits throughout the second half.
But Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said just booking the title showdown with the 64-win Celtics -- a year after Dallas failed to make the playoffs -- was a harbinger of what this Mavs team can accomplish.
"This is just the beginning," Kidd said. "A lot of people -- excluding the people in the locker room -- didn't have us here.
"Yes, we lost 4-1, but I thought the group fought against the Celtics and just unfortunately just couldn't make shots."
As the game ended, Doncic exchanged an embrace with teammate Kyrie Irving, an NBA champion alongside LeBron James with Cleveland in 2016 who was brought in to bolster the Mavs in February of 2023.
"We said we'll fight together next season, and we're just going to believe," Doncic said.
The Mavs' post-season push was buoyed at the trade deadline by the acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, and guard Josh Green said Dallas has the raw materials to challenge again.
"I think we got here and everyone is hungry now and obviously we didn't get what we wanted. We need to regroup and be back here again next year," Green said.
Added Irving: "Failure at this stage definitely sucks. It's a bitter feeling because you want to keep playing and you feel like your best game is coming up next.
"But I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow with these guys in this locker room, and everybody across the organization."
O.Karlsson--AMWN