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Luka Doncic had a statement for the OKC Thunder fans mocking him after the Dallas Mavericks won Game 5 in their conference semifinals against the Thunder on Wednesday. The Slovenian guard was under fire for a rather average run before the matchup and hit the straps with a 31-point triple-double to lead his side to a 104-92 win at Paycom Center.
Doncic was mocked and jeered by the crowd throughout the evening and the Mavericks star later had a fitting reply.
Speaking to the media in the post-game conference, the five-time All-Star said he loves it when the fans mocked him, further adding that he relishes the challenge of proving them wrong:
"I love it, and when they chant 'Luka sucks', it gets me going."
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Leading up to an all-important Game 5, Doncic was slammed by fans and analysts for his paltry outing in Game 4. The bounceback game in what has been a physically draining contest for the guard now sees the Mavericks just one win away from knocking the Thunder out of the postseason.
On the game front, Doncic had support from Derrick Jones Jr. (19 points) and P.J. Washington (10 points and 10 rebounds). Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with 30 points, six rebounds and eight assists.
Luka Doncic lavishes praise on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander amid intense competition between Mavericks and Thunder
The second-round clash between the Dallas Mavericks and OKC Thunder promised to be a cracker of a series between two of the best guards in the league. Widely regarded as the players forming the future of the league, Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were also players in contention for the MVP, which was later awarded to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
With two guards having a contrasting, yet lethal offensive approach, the series has swung back and forth so far with Dallas taking the fifth game. And on his part, Doncic gave "SGA" the flowers he deserved, praising the 30-point metronome for leading a young OKC unit to their Game 4 win:
"He was unbelievable. He kept making shots and maybe at some point, we've got to send double teams. He's just too good," Doncic said.
Both "SGA" and Doncic have been propping up the numbers in the playoffs so far. The OKC star has averaged 29.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 6.2 apg in eight games. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic has averaged 27.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg and 9.0 apg in 11 games.
