In an enthralling showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns, Luka Doncic made history today. He fried the Phoenix Suns in the Christmas showdown by scoring 50 points, with 15 assists and 6 rebounds. His contribution helped the Mavericks defeat the Suns, 128-114. He effortlessly sank a 3-pointer from 34 feet, with just 4:52 remaining on the clock during the first quarter. This marked a major milestone for him, going over 10,000 career points before he even turned 25 years of age.
He finished shooting 15/25 from the floor, 8/16 from the 3-pointer range, and 12 at the foul line, giving him the edge of 10,039 career points tonight. Added to this are his 3 blocked shots and 4 steals as well.
At the age of 24, Doncic is the 6th fastest player in NBA history to enter this elite club. The last NBA star to achieve this milestone quicker than #77 was Michael Jordan. Among all the active players currently, nobody has reached this pivotal stage faster than Doncic, who achieved it in 10 fewer games, other than LeBron James. Wilt Chamberlain accomplished this milestone in the least number of games at 236. Of course, the fans across the world are supremely happy for the Mavs superstar, but it turns out that the Phoenix Suns fans don’t seem to be very happy about it.
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And, as soon as he hit this 10,000-th shot, he immediately started chattering with the Suns’ fans, who were already booing him tonight while he handled the ball since he was busy putting the Suns’ team down from the first quarter itself. After all, he showered the Suns with 17 points alone at the time.
It turns out that someone from the crowd yelled “You suck”, intended toward Luka Doncic every single time he touched the ball. To this, he responded, “Who sucks?”, instantaneously the moment he hit his 10,000 mark tonight.
Luka said someone in the crowd was yelling "you suck, you suck" and this was him responding with "who sucks?" https://t.co/f3uuEkqlI5
— Vivek Jacob (@vivekmjacob) December 26, 2023
Known for their ongoing rivalry against the Suns, the booing was understandable. Of course, Doncic had to respond too, with his exceptional on-court performance by achieving more than 10,000 points at such a young age. Fans joined in this time after the last showdown between Devin Booker and Doncic, since this time the Christmas game served as a major platform for Mavs and Doncic to assert their dominance.
Doncic & the Mavs vs Booker and the Suns
They sowed the seeds for this rivalry back in 2022 in the Western Conference Semis, where the Mavs dominated the Suns by 33 points, winning Game 7 at the time. Doncic, to this day, continues to dominate the rival team. This started even earlier during the 2018 NBA drafts, when the Suns passed up on the opportunity to choose Luka, and selected DeAndre Ayton as their #1 overall pick. If at the time Doncic and Booker were paired together, the combination would be undefeatable. Alas, this couldn’t happen.
Switching gears forward to 2022, while Booker and his team earned the #1 seed after winning 64 games, Doncic and Mavs were the 4th seed. Fresh off their Finals loss, the Suns were on a mission to win the championship, but the Mavs stood in their way. It came to the pivotal Game 5, where things were supposed to turn around for the Suns. However, things blew over when Booker was caught taking a dig at Doncic. He lay down on the floor after a foul, before everyone started calling it “The Luka Special”. He did it while seemingly noticing all the cameras around, focusing on him.
It still isn’t clear whether Doncic did catch wind of Booker, but it most definitely is clear that they were both squabbling during Game 5, prompting the Slovenian to respond on court and off.
We famously heard Luka Doncic saying “Everybody acting tough when they up” after a Phoenix win, after which he proceeded to lay waste to the Suns over the next few games.
"Everybody acting tough when they up."
Luka Doncic had a message after the Suns W last night 😳
(via @abc15sports) pic.twitter.com/artNzmzhvs
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 11, 2022
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In fact, during the Suns’ loss, there was a picture of Doncic circulating on the internet, with a troll-like smile against Booker and the Suns, which of course added fuel to the fire.
Recalling all this, Doncic’s assertiveness on the court tonight, demonstrated by his 50 points, solidified his status as a future Hall of Famer and someone who can effortlessly handle himself whenever he takes the hardwood floor.
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While both Booker and Doncic seemed to have buried the hatchet, their fans have ensured that this is a rivalry that will continue for the rest of their careers.
Watch This Story – Only player other than Luka Doncic who grabbed 30 points or more in the first 8 games of the season