Away games are always tough for teams to navigate. The home crowd rallying behind its team creates an added pressure on the visitors. However, Luka Doncic is built differently. The Slovenian performs at his best when put in these tough situations, which is why he has a 13-12 record on the road in playoffs. He showed the same tenacity in the series closer against the Minnesota Timberwolves and walked away with the last laugh.
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Throughout the game, Doncic was in a constant tussle with the home team and their fans. One of the moments that went viral was a clip of him screaming, “Yeah! Who’s crying, motherf*cker!” At first glimpse, it looked like he was shouting at hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, sitting courtside.
https://twitter.com/Eurohoopsnet/status/1796415141183201646
However, another angle of the moment surfaced on the internet that debunked the theory. In a clip posted by BA Sports Podcast on X, Doncic could be seen screaming at a Wolves fan seated a few rows behind Uncle Snoop. Since the Mavs star was constantly shouting out words at the Wolves camp, a fan tried to mock him for ‘crying’ throughout the game.
Correction Luka was talking to this guy not snoop
pic.twitter.com/ngYihpiyX2— BA Sports Podcast (@BASportsPodcast) May 31, 2024
In the end, Luka had the last laugh as he won the game for his team with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. He shot 14-22 from the field and 6-10 from the three-point line. He was also awarded the Western Conference Finals MVP title.
*Wolves fans booing*
Luka: "I see you"
*Moments later*
Luka: "BOOOOO"
LMAOpic.twitter.com/h0eX4Ercdv
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 31, 2024
Interestingly, a lot of fans stayed back for the ceremony only to boo the 25-year-old while he received the trophy. He responded to the fans with “I see you” and ended with booing back at the fans.
Luka Doncic doesn’t get bogged down by the opposition’s mind games
The true caliber of a great player is often measured by how they perform under extreme pressure. We have seen examples of this in so many greats of the game who took pride in beating their strongest opposition. For Doncic, every game on the road is a battle where he feels the need to prove himself.
Impressed by his ability, Rachel Nichols recently compared the Slovenian to Reggie Miller who used to have fun toying with the Knicks fans at MSG.
Doncic has had several moments in his career where he was targeted by the away crowd but managed to overcome it. Recently, he experienced it during the Conference Semifinals against the OKC Thunder.
He detailed the incident at the post-game presser, “There was one guy courtside going at my family. I don’t like that, man. You’re a grown-ass man, you just can’t do that.” Even on that occasion, he had the last laugh as the Mavs beat the OKC in six games to qualify. Indeed, a characteristic similar to the Pacers legend.
