Luka Doncic sends a warning to Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns following latest battle
Luka Doncic sent a strong message to Devin Booker after a chippy ending to the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns game on Sunday.
DALLAS — Luka Doncic wants Devin Booker to know what not to do the next time these two teams meet.
As the Phoenix Suns put the finishing touches on a 130-126 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at American Airlines Center, Phoenix's Booker, and Dallas' Doncic got into a little confrontation.
Following Doncic's blown layup, Booker said something that Doncic explained wasn't appropriate for television. And then the two went chest-to-chest, Doncic saying something to Booker while appearing to laugh. After the game, Doncic, visibly frustrated with his blown opportunity to tie the game on a layup, detailed to Phoenix what not to do the next time these two teams play.
"Next time, don't wait until three seconds left [in the game] to talk," Doncic said after scoring 34 points in 35 minutes.
Doncic and Booker's beef dates back to the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. Phoenix had controlled most of the series and was doing a lot of the talking on the floor. Between Booker and Chris Paul, it looked like the Suns were going to overpower the Mavs. And then Doncic said some of the most famous words in Mavericks' lore of late.
"Everybody acting tough when they up," he said then.
The Mavericks went on to win the series, completely dismantling the Suns in Game 7.
Fast forward to the 2022-23 season, the Mavericks blew a double-digit lead against the Suns at the start of the season. Tempers flared in that game, but not to the extent that was seen on Sunday.
Kyrie Irving, who scored 30 points, contextualized the scuffle well in his post-game remarks.
“Everyone wants to prove how tough they are on the court," he said. "And then when they step off, they’re all hugging.”
By a general rule of thumb, Irving is right. It is rare that anyone on the court in the NBA actually wants to fight. But there is bad blood between Doncic and Booker. And where there is smoke, there is often fire.
“You guys [reporters] say you don’t want everybody to be friendly, friendly,” Booker said. “Here you go. We got some smoke.”
Booker added: "It’s just two competitors going at it. Everybody speaks on how friendly the NBA is now and [how they] don’t like that. I have no problem with Luka on or off the court, but when we’re competing, we’re competing.”
Tim Hardaway Jr., who has enjoyed his most effective shooting stretch of the season and scored 21 points in the contest, like everyone else, admitted just how much he loves seeing two teams that aren't particularly fond of each other go head-to-head in heated contests.
“I love being a part of it," Hardaway said. "There’s some bad blood that’s still there. I think everybody saw it in the last couple of seconds of the game. And I hope they’re ready for many more to come.”
Bad blood or not, Doncic's message to Booker and the Suns is clear: Don't wait until the end of the game to say what you really mean. Fair enough.
Feature image via Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports.
