LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic opened the regular season with 28 points and a barrage of second-quarter trash talk Wednesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away for a 127-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
The six-time All-Star guard ignited during a fiery exchange with Golden State rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg, capping the verbal duel by sinking a buzzer-beating shot from beyond half court to end the first half.
Heated clash before the break
The friction surfaced late in the second quarter when Doncic drew a shooting foul against Lendeborg, the Associated Press reported. As Lendeborg demonstrated frustration with the whistle, Doncic laughed, sparking ongoing jawing between the two.
Even after Lendeborg sat on the Golden State bench, Doncic continued talking toward the rookie following a fadeaway basket against Will Richard and during free throws by Sandro Mamukelashvili, according to the California Post. With 22 seconds left before halftime, game officials assessed Lendeborg a technical foul for profanity directed at Doncic.
Moments later, Doncic gathered a pass near the scorer’s table and launched a half-court heave that banked into the basket as the second-quarter horn sounded, giving Los Angeles a 66-52 halftime advantage. Doncic pointed toward Lendeborg while the arena erupted.
“He was talking crazy,” Doncic told reporters during his postgame press conference, adding that he made a deliberate effort not to receive a technical foul himself after accumulating 16 last season. “Everybody knows when somebody starts talking, you get a different me.”
Lakers guard Austin Reaves noted that Doncic’s competitive spirit often surfaces when challenged. Reaves joked after the contest that he would consider paying opponents to talk to Doncic to push him into a higher gear, according to the California Post.
Rookie fires back after blowout
Los Angeles broke the game wide open in the third quarter by outscoring Golden State 36-16, ClutchPoints reported. Doncic finished his evening after three quarters, shooting 7-of-18 from the field, while Walker Kessler contributed 26 points without missing a shot on 12 attempts. Reaves added 23 points for Los Angeles.
Lendeborg, a 24-year-old rookie who won a national championship with Michigan before going 11th overall in June’s draft, recorded 12 points and three rebounds in his NBA debut. After the defeat, he did not soften his stance against Doncic, criticizing the star’s interactions with game officials.
“I lost all respect, man,” Lendeborg said in his postgame press conference, according to the Associated Press. The rookie accused Doncic of flopping and constant complaining to the referees throughout the contest, calling the behavior “weak.”
Lendeborg acknowledged shouting profanities before receiving his technical foul, explaining that he told Doncic he could not score on him.
What comes next
The Lakers return to the court Friday night to face the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Warriors prepare for upcoming regular-season competition. The burgeoning rivalry between Doncic and Lendeborg will not wait long to resume: Golden State and Los Angeles will square off again on Oct. 30 in an NBA Cup matchup in San Francisco.
