The NBA’s most historic rivalry added another chapter on Saturday night as the Los Angeles Lakers traveled to Boston to face off against the Celtics. The high-powered matchup featured Luka Doncic’s first game against the C’s as a member of the Lakers. Unfortunately, the intensity of the game led to the Slovenian superstar nearly getting decapitated by Al Horford during a fast-break play.
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With 3;57 left in the 1st quarter, Doncic was bringing the ball up to the arc when Jaylen Brown managed to poke the rock away. Brown took control and pushed the ball toward the Lakers’ side with Luka lazily following behind.
The 2024 finals MVP then delivered a touch bounce pass to a wide open Horford, who jammed in home for a Celtics score. Horford hung on the rim to further exentuate the dunk, but he accidentally smacked Doncic in the face with his knee when he was swinging down.
Don’t think this could’ve gone any worse for Luka – from start to finish pic.twitter.com/UqCjE633GL
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) March 9, 2025
The blow took Doncic down, and forced the refs to stop play to check on the 25-year-old face of the league. Well, it didn’t take long for NBA fans to rush to social media to comment on the play, with many pointing out that Doncic looked like he was nearly killed.
“Damn Al knocked Luka out” wrote @Axrm830 on X. Another user named Matt O’Brien agreed and added, “would have to imagine that hurt a LOT.” Doncic may have played up the injury a bit to the referees, but a knee to the face is still a knee to the face and he clearly was in a great deal of pain.
Damn Al knocked Luka out
— A-Marte (@Axrm830) March 9, 2025
Suffice to say, the sequence did not bode well for Doncic, nor was it the last time Brown bested Doncic either. In the 2nd quarter, he secured another steal from the Lakers’ newest acquisition, not to mention dropping 18 first half points.
Doncic came into this game with a chip on his shoulder. The Don was looking for some revenge against the C’s after they destroyed him and the Mavericks in last year’s NBA Finals, particularly in Game 5, which took place at TD Garden.
However, he hasn’t truly shown all too much resolve in extracting ‘revenge’ as the narrative would go. Kendrick Perkins even called out Doncic after the first half for his costly turnovers and lack of aggressiveness. “All I’m witnessing right now is bad turnovers, complaining, breaking defensive assignments.”
As the second half rages on, one must wonder if Horford’s knee shot was either a wake up call, or an early nail in the coffin of this game.
