Luka Doncic is already one of the NBA’s undeniable best players, and Matas Buzelis just learned the hard way that he’s also one of the league’s best trash-talkers, especially when he is dropping 51 points.
When Luka “Baked” Him for 12 Straight
Matas Buzelis just gave us the inside scoop on what it’s like going up against Luka Doncic when the man is absolutely feeling himself. On a recent appearance on “Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady,” the Chicago Bulls forward opened up about an intense exchange where Doncic dropped some truly “nasty things” on him, stuff so wild Buzelis admitted he couldn’t even repeat it publicly. Buzelis recalled how Doncic started “baking” him, getting “12 in a row, bad.” Imagine that kind of heat. But Buzelis, to his credit, didn’t back down. He fired right back at Doncic, telling him, “I don’t care, keep doing that, I don’t care what you doing, keep scoring, we’ll see if you can keep scoring.” Buzelis held his own, too, with 20 points at halftime while Doncic had 22. Buzelis ultimately ended up with 23 points. You gotta love that kind of competitive fire, even if it means poking one of the league’s biggest bears.
The 51-Point Masterclass With a Mid-Air Call-Out
That bear, of course, delivered a straight-up monstrous performance. This was the Los Angeles Lakers’ 142-130 victory over the Bulls back on March 12, and Doncic absolutely went off, racking up a ridiculous 51 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. He was on fire, shooting an insane 17-of-31 from the field and a lights-out 9-of-14 from beyond the arc. And the trash talk wasn’t just words. Buzelis vividly recalled a moment where Doncic, after an isolation play and a signature step-back shot, actually pointed *directly down* at Buzelis in the corner *mid-air* before the ball even went through the hoop. The shot went “straight back rim,” according to Buzelis, who could only think, “Oh god, that’s not good.” The Lakers ended up crushing the Bulls by 20 points that night. Austin Reaves chipped in with 30 points too, but honestly, who even remembers that when Doncic is putting on a show like that, complete with the mid-shot call-out?
So, the million-dollar question: did Matas Buzelis learn his lesson about jawing with one of the league’s top talents, especially one who can back it up with a 51-point masterpiece? He admitted in the media he’s “probably not going to trash talk again to him,” which sounds like a smart move. But then, almost immediately, he added, “but I really don’t care. I’m going to do it again.” You’ve got to respect that kind of defiance and grit, but man, going back for more against a player like Doncic, especially when he just dropped 51 points and pointed at you mid-shot as he was cooking you? That takes a special kind of bravery. The rest of the league knows exactly what happens when you decide to poke that specific bear.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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