Luka Doncic and Devin Booker got into a heated exchange during the Phoenix Suns' 130-126 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on Sunday. The back and forth occurred after Doncic missed a game-tying layup with just 3.1 seconds left on the clock. Booker downplayed the incident after the game, explaining that it was just a heated moment between competitors.
“You guys say you don’t want everybody to be friendly-friendly,” Booker said, as noted by AZCentral’s Duane Rankin. “There you go, we got some smoke … It’s just two competitors going at it. Everybody speaks on how friendly the NBA is right now and don’t like that. I have no problem with Luka on or off the court, but when we’re competing, we’re competing.” Booker finished the game with 36 points.
Luka Doncic & Devin Booker
Doncic admitted that he was upset Booker waited until the end of the game to start trash-talking. "It's fine, it's just a competitive game," he said. "It's all good. Just next time, don't wait until there's three seconds left to talk." He finished with an inefficient 34 points, scoring on only 8-of-23 from the floor including 1-of-9 from 3-point range. Doncic also praised the Suns' roster in general. "I mean, they're incredible," he said. "Those two guys are one of the best [duos] in the league, Book and KD. But I love it. It's competitive. I think today was a great game to watch." Tim Hardaway Jr. also admitted "the bad blood is still there" between the Suns and the Mavs. The two teams faced off in the second round of the playoffs last season.
The Mavericks currently rank seventh in the Western Conference standings, while the Suns are in fourth. The Suns acquired superstar Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets prior to the trade deadline. The Mavs, on the other head, brought in Durant's former Nets teammate, Kyrie Irving.
The Altercation
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