Luka Doncic makes feelings clear on playing MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in highly competitive OKC matchup

Lakers star Luka Doncic had high praise for his rival and Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after a recent win.

Luka Doncic makes feelings clear on playing MVP favorite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in highly competitive OKC matchup

Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers came well-prepared for their fierce matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was mostly because Doncic and the Lakers knew one thing; if they were to keep the Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander quiet, they could secure the victory. It’s safe to say that Doncic and his teammates executed their plans perfectly on Sunday.

With a decisive 126-99 victory over the Thunder, who are regarded by many as the NBA’s finest team, the Lakers made an impact on Sunday afternoon. Doncic led the charge, and after the game, he not only put on a display but also respected his opponent, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Doncic claimed that ‘Shai is unbelievable.’

Obviously, first is Shai. I think he’s an unbelievable player. He makes them look like an incredible team, which they are. The second thing is their defense. They have a lot of guys who can guard 1 through 5, they can switch, they can control the game with their defense, and they have a lot of weapons.

Luka Doncic said after the game
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On the court, Doncic outperformed SGA. The Slovenian star took charge of the offense at the Paycom Center. Doncic was unstoppable as he finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. The Lakers had significant contributions from everyone, but Doncic grabbed center stage.

In addition, Lakers superstar LeBron James also made a fair contribution in attack, with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists, and the secondary scorer, Austin Reaves, scored 20 points. Gabe Vincent (12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists) and Dorian Finney-Smith (14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists) were standouts off the bench.

The Lakers tightened down physically, and shattered Gilgeous-Alexander’s 248-game record of at least one trip to the line by keeping him from attempting a single free throw, which hadn’t happened till December 2021. This was the second-longest streak in Thunder history, dating back to 2008.

Luka Doncic credits his coach JJ Redick for an important win over the Thunder

The five-time All-NBA player told reporters what inspired the team’s aggressive intensity on both sides of the court following the lopsided victory. Luka Doncic credited head coach JJ Redick for starting the fire, saying the recent returns of important players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura greatly boosted the Lakers ahead of this matchup.

Just amazing. Like, we suffering to start, and JJ said, you know, we need to be physical, and we need to go out on this game aggressive. And that’s all with that. So that was our goal. And, you know, we shot pretty good. We got a lot of open looks. So, the game was flowing.

Luka Doncic said
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The physicality paid off as the Lakers displayed Redick’s fingerprints throughout their play, tuned in defensively, and moved the ball purposefully. Now, with this win, the Lakers sit at 3rd seed in the West and are 48-30. Everyone’s focus will now turn to their upcoming game and it’s one to remember: the Lakers versus the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic vs Anthony Davis, but this time in different colors.

Luka Doncic gave Thunder star Lu Dort his flowers in recent win

Luka Doncic and the Lakers stood up all against the OKC Thunder on Sunday. Despite facing off against the likes of Lu Dort and SGA, the Lakers prevailed. Their performance was noteworthy, and Doncic had massive words for Thunder’s defensive player, Lu Dort. After the game. Doncic called Dort one of the best defenders in the NBA.

I think it brings the competitive spirit out of me, it brings the best out of me. Going against Lu Dort it’s a tough job. He’s one of the best defenders in the NBA.

Luka Doncic said

It is not surprising that Doncic singled out Dort for praise because he is regarded as one of the NBA’s top defenders. Dort has been excellent all season long for the Thunder. In fact, his presence in defense has helped the Thunder hold the No.1 seed in the Western Conference. Performances like these do not go unnoticed and Doncic’s latest assessment is an example of it.

Aside from that, the Thunder gave one of their poorest performance of the season. The Lakers made a big statement by holding the Thunder to fewer than 100 points at home. They will want to extract payback on the Lakers right away as possible and demonstrate to them why they are the overwhelming favorites to claim the NBA title.