Was Nico Harrison right all along? Last year, Luka Doncic single-handedly led the Mavericks on a generational playoff run. But when the NBA Finals arrived, he constantly struggled to find his rhythm and did not look like the offensive juggernaut he usually is. That’s because Jaylen Brown guarded him throughout the series and gave him no room to operate. And it looks like Luka has still not found a solution to this problem, as JB shut him down with his lockdown defense once again during tonight’s Lakers vs Celtics clash.

Yes, Brown forced Doncic to relive last year’s traumatic experience, limiting him to only 11 points in the first half on an abysmal 37% efficiency. And the Slovenian Sensation also turned the ball over three times. It was a disappointing performance from Luka because just two days ago, against the Knicks, he had gone off for a 32-point double-double. However, he could do nothing to get past Brown in the first half tonight.

Meanwhile, Jaylen was getting the job done on both ends. Apart from shutting down Luka, he also scored in double digits in the first half to extend the Celtics’ lead. Of course, JB had a similar impact last year, when he averaged 20.8 points and over five rebounds in the finals. Sure, Luka had a solid series as well, averaging 29.2 points and nearly six assists. But most of his points were scored when Brown was not guarding him.

With JB as his primary defender, Luka’s efficiency dropped to 40.9%. Sure enough, Jaylen took home the Finals MVP trophy for his performance and even earned high praise from Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, “Jaylen’s their best player. Looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka full court… He did everything. And that’s what your best player does.” And we witnessed a similar feat tonight, garnering a common reaction from the hoop community.

NBA World claims Luka Doncic is “In Hell” Playing against Jaylen Brown

After seeing Brown’s incredible defense on Luka, most fans were left saying the same thing as comments like “Breaks my heart what they doing to Doncic out there” and “The way Jaylen Brown has been locking down Doncic tho. It’s so bad” began flooding in. One netizen even claimed that whenever Doncic faces the reigning Finals MVP, his thought is “I’m in Hell.”

Well, it sure looked like that in the first half as Doncic had little impact while his team struggled against the reigning champs. One fan even posted Brown’s iconic ‘Buckle Up’ taunt that he hit Luka with during the Finals after getting a steal on him and throwing down a nasty dunk. Adding insult to injury, one netizen claimed, “Jaylen brown is the father of Luka Doncic.”

Ironically, the fan used the same meme that was born when Luka humiliated Devin Booker in the playoffs and many have deemed him Booker’s father since that moment.

Things have taken a tough turn for the Slovenian star. Luka struggled through a rough first half, but he bounced back in the second, finishing with 34 points. The problem? By then, it was too late. Jaylen Brown and the Celtics had already taken control, handing the Lakers a ten-point loss.

But this isn’t just about one game—it could be a red flag for LA. One of the biggest reasons many believe Nico Harrison traded Luka was due to concerns about his conditioning, especially after struggling against Brown in the Finals. If those same issues resurface this season, the Lakers could be in serious trouble if they run into Boston again in the playoffs.