The In-Season Tournament is giving it’s maximum intensity tonight as we get to the final day of the group stage games. 16 teams played tonight with 6 spots up for the grab. While Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks came into the game with no chance to qualify for the quarterfinals, the Houston Rockets still had hope.
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With the Pelicans winning their contest over the Clippers, they’re the top team in West Group B. The only chance the Rockets had was to win the game tonight. However, Luka and his Mavs made sure the same didn’t happen. Early in the game, there was raw energy on the court, and the audience could feel it. It led to an intense moment between Doncic and Dillon Brooks, which Bally Sports Southwest shared.
Brooks was driving to the basket, and Luka got the stop as the primary defender. It clearly looked like Luka wasn’t too impressed by the drive and gave Brooks a stare-down.
Luka Doncic was NOT impressed by the drive by Dillon Brooks #MFFL pic.twitter.com/UntZRgFW3y
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) November 29, 2023
This had fans on X(formerly Twitter) all excited. One of them called Luka ‘the coldest’ in the league.
Luka is the coldest in the league
— eruj (@erujabidi) November 29, 2023
Meanwhile, another fan expressed how Luka went back to his mother tongue, Slovenian, to talk trash to Brooks.
He definitely said sumn crazy in Slovenian https://t.co/FaoT4ynQ1v
— KEENAN ♂️ (@keeaintkappin) November 29, 2023
On the other hand, a fan called out Dillon Brooks for being the villain yet getting bullied by everyone.
How does the villain of the league get bullied by everyone? https://t.co/PH1tLO6lT7
— Caleb Crowley (@calebcrow_) November 29, 2023
It’s a fair question. For someone who openly claims to be a villain, Brooks sure has a lot of encounters where he doesn’t exactly come out on the top.
Luka Doncic helps Zion Williamson lock In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals
Despite the Rockets’ best attempt, they fell short 121-115. Luka Doncic had a ‘quiet’ 41 for the night, to go along with 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. This performance helped the Mavericks to hold off the surging Rockets. Not only did this help Dallas secure its 11th win for the season, but it also helped Zion Williamson.
The New Orleans Pelicans had a 3-1 record in the West Group B and a point differential of +33. The Rockets, on the other hand, had a 2-1 record heading into tonight, with a +16 differential. Usually, point differential matters, but since the Rockets had taken down the Pelicans earlier, a simple win tonight would’ve put them above the Pelicans.
After the Warriors-Kings game gives us the final quarterfinalist, we’ll get to know who the Pelicans would now take on for the quarterfinals on December 4th or 5th. In the meanwhile, Zion can surely send a thank you text to his fellow Jordan athlete Luka Doncic.
