Luka Doncic didn’t await his Dallas homecoming to fire up drama.
On the eve of going through his former crew, the Slovenian star was ejected in the course of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-120 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night time.
Doncic had 23 factors earlier than choosing up his second technical foul and getting tossed with 7:40 left within the fourth quarter. He claimed he was jawing with a fan, however the officers noticed it in another way.
The Thunder closed robust, outscoring the Lakers 29-12 after Doncic’s exit.
“I mean, it was tough,” Doncic mentioned. “I mean, we were right there. I think we fought the whole game … We came back in the third quarter. We were fighting, man. So it was tough to see that kind of situation happen. And you know, that’s on me too, so I can’t let my team down like that.”
Now, Doncic can concentrate on the Mavericks – the crew he led to the NBA Finals simply final season after profitable the scoring title. The five-time All-Star was amongst these shocked when he was traded for Anthony Davis on Feb. 2.
Though Doncic has bonded along with his new teammates, he seems ahead to being again in Dallas.
“Of course that’s going to be a lot of emotion for me,” he mentioned. “Like, how do we know what to expect? I don’t know how I’m going to feel, honestly. I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas. Obviously, with the fans, seeing my ex-teammates – it’s going to be very emotional for me, for sure.”
Doncic is averaging 27.1 factors, 8.1 rebounds and seven.6 assists in 26 video games with the Lakers. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd is properly conscious of the injury the versatile guard can inflict.
“He’s playing incredible, but that’s Luka,” Kidd mentioned. “Luka’s one of the best players in the world. You’ve got to be able to show different defenses, and that’s even hard. When you look at what he’s doing – he’s shooting the 3, he’s getting to the rim and to the free-throw line, and he’s setting the table for his teammates. Our defense will be tested.”
Lakers ahead LeBron James, who has had just a few returns all through his profession, mentioned he expects Doncic to be obtained warmly.
“I think he’ll get a standing ovation and they’ll clap and cheer,” James mentioned. “You’ll hear his name a lot. That’s what I’m expecting.”
James mentioned the crew is ready to assist Doncic work via the weird circumstances.
“Whatever he needs,” James mentioned. “I think winning will be the best solution.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com