Luka Doncic's Teammate Bails Him Out After On-Court Confrontation
A heated exchange between Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Utah Jazz player Kris Dunn escalated into a physical confrontation during Tuesday night's Los Angeles Lakers vs. Clippers game, with teammate Jaxson Hayes ultimately standing up for his companion.
Doncic, who had 43 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds in the Lakers' 135-118 victory, was unhappy with the court's slippery surface, calling it "slippery" and "dangerous." However, after Dunn pushed him to the ground, Doncic confronted him before Hayes intervened, resulting in a technical foul against Hayes.
Doncic has apologized for his actions and plans to pay Hayes' fine. The situation highlighted the tensions between Doncic and Dunn, who have been involved in several previous altercations on the court.
"It's what I love about this team," Doncic said after praising Hayes' reaction to Dunn's aggression. "Everybody has got each other's back."
The Lakers' win over the Clippers marked their fifth consecutive victory, and with it, they clinched a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. For Doncic, who has competed in international tournaments before but not at this level in North America, the experience is new and exciting.
"I think I never got past the group stage," Doncic said of his previous tournament experiences. "I played it in Spain, so I like it."
While some players have expressed concerns about the special courts used for NBA Cup games, Doncic acknowledged the potential dangers but stressed that a little roughhousing was to be expected.
"It's not gonna stop us from winning," he said with a grin when asked about the tournament earnings.
A heated exchange between Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic and Utah Jazz player Kris Dunn escalated into a physical confrontation during Tuesday night's Los Angeles Lakers vs. Clippers game, with teammate Jaxson Hayes ultimately standing up for his companion.
Doncic, who had 43 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds in the Lakers' 135-118 victory, was unhappy with the court's slippery surface, calling it "slippery" and "dangerous." However, after Dunn pushed him to the ground, Doncic confronted him before Hayes intervened, resulting in a technical foul against Hayes.
Doncic has apologized for his actions and plans to pay Hayes' fine. The situation highlighted the tensions between Doncic and Dunn, who have been involved in several previous altercations on the court.
"It's what I love about this team," Doncic said after praising Hayes' reaction to Dunn's aggression. "Everybody has got each other's back."
The Lakers' win over the Clippers marked their fifth consecutive victory, and with it, they clinched a spot in the NBA Cup quarterfinals. For Doncic, who has competed in international tournaments before but not at this level in North America, the experience is new and exciting.
"I think I never got past the group stage," Doncic said of his previous tournament experiences. "I played it in Spain, so I like it."
While some players have expressed concerns about the special courts used for NBA Cup games, Doncic acknowledged the potential dangers but stressed that a little roughhousing was to be expected.
"It's not gonna stop us from winning," he said with a grin when asked about the tournament earnings.
! jaxson hayes literally saved his bacon after that crazy confrontation with kris dunn 
. i mean, doncic was all upset about the court being slippery and stuff, but come on, it's just basketball 
. no need for physical altercations 
. anywayz, hats off to hayes for stepping up and defending his teammate 
. maybe luka shoulda just kept his cool 
, but hey, at least he apologized and offered to pay the fine 
. btw, doncic's got some serious experience under his belt now, competing in those international tournaments 
!
. And poor Jaxson Hayes gets caught in the middle... I mean, nice guy that he is, but still, should've just stayed out of it 
. Doncic bailing him out after the fact might be a good PR move, but let's be real, they're both gonna try to spin this as "just a brotherly disagreement" 
. I'm not buying it...
i was watching that game live and it looked crazy intense. i mean, who pushes someone to the ground on the court? 
and for a sec there, i thought we were gonna see some serious drama between luka and kris dunn. but luckily, jaxson stepped in and kept things from getting outta hand.
and then proceeds to drop 43 points on the clippers! 
meanwhile, i'm over here thinking "what a good teammate jaxson has!" 
i guess you gotta have ur teammate's back in all situations, even if its after a intense on court convo 
. plus luka still managed to get 43 points and 13 assists so that's def some consolation prize 
but luckily he stepped up for his teammate and now they're just good to go 
I'm glad Jaxson Hayes stepped up for Luka Doncic like that, it shows what real team spirit looks like 
. What's crazy is how these situations can escalate so quickly, just because of a bit of frustration on the court 
. If you're gonna lose your cool, at least have the courage to stand up for someone like Hayes did, and don't just sit there and let things fester 
.
right now there were some major tension between them on court but then Hayes jumped up for Doncic and saved him from that awkward situation, talk about having each other's back! 
. gotta respect him for that. and luka's right, it is what it is - these guys are athletes, they're gonna push each other, get a little rough... it's part of the game 
.
Luka Doncic and Kris Dunn went at it, and Jaxson Hayes stepped in to save his teammate's bacon 
! And can we talk about how amazeballs Jaxson is for having Doncic's back like that? 
The Lakers' win is EVERYTHING and more 
, especially with the NBA Cup quarterfinals spot on the line! 
and I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. But for real, Doncic should've kept his cool tho 
. At least he apologized and offered to pay Hayes' fine that's some good sportsmanship 
️
.
. I guess you gotta expect some trash talk on the court, but not physical stuff like that.