Steph Curry straight up broke Luka Doncic’s ankles on Friday night, a move that sent a clear message in what’s quickly becoming one of the most intense early-season rivalries in the NBA. This wasn’t just some regular game moment, this was Steph getting payback after their season-opening matchup a week ago already sparked some serious bad blood between the Warriors and the Lakers.
The Rookie Started It, Doncic Fanned The Flames
Things kicked off hot during that first game, a week prior to Friday night’s ankle-breaker. Rookie phenom Yaxel Lendeborg and Luka Doncic were going at each other non-stop. Doncic, the veteran superstar, really got the better of Lendeborg in that first outing, giving the rookie a harsh welcome to the league. After the game, Doncic didn’t hold back, making it clear he was just talking trash. “He was talking crazy … I knew that was going before I got it in my hands. I work on those,” Doncic said.
But Lendeborg, to his credit, didn’t back down. He took that challenge head-on, and it earned him some major respect in the locker room. You gotta respect a guy who keeps going after a player of Doncic’s caliber, even when things are going sideways. Lendeborg even got a technical foul during that game, and he revealed exactly what he was telling the Lakers star. “I was telling him he sucks. He can’t score on me. You talking, you can’t score on me. I said it the whole game. I said a couple cuss words obviously, you know, that’s why I got the technical and all that. But I was letting him know because he was laughing and talking all this because of that one foul call, and his only bucket was a banker from half court. Like, I know that it’s a team sport. He had 28 on us as a team. Me, I took my matchup personally,” Lendeborg fired back. That’s some serious fire from the rookie!
Curry Steps In With Vengeance
Fast forward to Friday night, and it was time for Lendeborg’s future Hall of Fame teammate, Steph Curry, to step in. And he did not disappoint. Curry got Doncic back in the most devastating way possible, leaving him on the floor after a nasty ankle breaker. NBA insider Brett Siegel summed it up perfectly, posting, “Steph Curry is a bad, bad man. Jeez.” You really can’t argue with that.
Even at this point in his career, for Curry to pull off a play like that, it’s just mind-blowing. It doesn’t matter how great he already is, any time he can leave a defender off balance and looking foolish, it just highlights his insane skill at creating space. That play wasn’t just a highlight either, it sparked a whole run for the Warriors after he dropped Doncic and converted the shot. Doncic did manage to hit a tough three-pointer on the very next possession, but honestly, it just wasn’t enough to make anyone forget about Steph putting him on skates. It’s no surprise, then, that Doncic has already become one of the most disliked players among Warriors fans, and it’s only early in the season. You can bet this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this rivalry heating up!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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