“I Don’t Know”: Luka Doncic Plays Innocent After Ugly Russell Westbrook Scuffle Forced 2 Ejections

With stakes high, things got heated at the American Airlines Center tonight. The Mavs butted heads with the Clippers to take a 2-1 lead in the thrilling first-round series, making Game 3 as physical as they come. And one encounter that glued the fans to their screens all night was between Luka Doncic and Russell Westbrook. From scary injuries to multiple ejections, the battle between the two stars got ugly quickly and did not disappoint.

However, after the game, the Slovenian sensation was not too bothered about his chippy encounter with Russ. When asked what was going on between him and Westbrook, Luka innocently replied with a smile on his face, “I don’t know.” However, he did acknowledge that whatever happened was because of the competitiveness of the playoffs, “I just think it’s competitive basketball. We both wanna win for our teams and that’s it.”

Russ and Luka had been trying to get under each other’s skin all night. Like bees to honey, Westbrook was glued to Luka on defense to make things difficult for him. And he even succeeded by causing Luka to lose the ball a few times. However, things escalated when Brodie accidentally injured Luka’s knee, by colliding into him during a steal attempt. Fortunately, Luka was not seriously injured and finished the game.

As the Mavs cruised to victory in the fourth quarter, a frustrated Westbrook pulled Luka’s arm while he tried to go for a layup. The force spun Luka around, and Westbrook doubled down by shoving Luka while he tried to confront the former MVP. With that, PJ Washington tried to come to Luka’s aid, pushing Westbrook from the back.

Then, an altercation began between Russ and PJ, causing both players to get ejected from the game.

What are Luka Doncic’s expectations for Game 4?

Unlike most nights, Luka struggled on offense, missing eighteen of his 25-shot attempts. Moreover, his shooting got even worse from the three-point line as he made only three of his thirteen shots from a distance. Did Westbrook’s pesky defense on Luka have some effect on his performance? Of course, that’s a possibility, especially considering how lethal Russ can be when it comes to defense when he’s locked in. Fortunately, Kyrie Irving was right there to save the day for Luka. Kyrie unleashed his “Uncle Drew” mode on the Clippers after scoring 2 points in the first half. In the second half, he went up to 19 points, single-handedly leading the Dallas side to a 101-90 victory.

Even Luka Doncic couldn’t help but feel grateful for Kyrie after tonight’s game. “He is a great player. You know we trust him”. 

The Mavericks do have a splendid chance to take the 3-1 lead in the series on Sunday now. Overcoming the Clippers has been a daunting task for them, especially in the post-season for many years. But now Luka can finally be hopeful and increase his expectations for Game 4. “Same physicality. We gotta go get it.”

Do you think Dallas can take advantage of the situation and beat the Clippers on Sunday?