Matas Buzelis Reflects on Trash-Talking Luka Doncic Going Wrong: “He Started Killing”

Matas Buzelis fueled a Luka Doncic masterclass on Thursday night.

Matas Buzelis Reflects on Trash-Talking Luka Doncic Going Wrong: “He Started Killing”

Matas Buzelis on Luka Doncic (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Luka Doncic scored 51 points in the Lakers' 142-130 victory over the Bulls.
  • Matas Buzelis regretted trash-talking Doncic, which motivated him to perform better.
  • Doncic is leading the league in scoring, averaging 32.9 points per game this season.

There is no doubt that Luka Doncic is one of the most gifted offensive players in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers point guard recorded his first 50-point game of the 2025-26 campaign as the Lakers registered a 142-130 victory in a high-scoring game against the Chicago Bulls at the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night.

It was an important win for the Lakers as they are assured of a postseason appearance and extended their winning streak to four games. The win propelled them to third place in the Western Conference standings with a 41-25 record.

Meanwhile, the Bulls are highly unlikely to secure a spot even in a play-in tournament as they sit at 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings and are 6.5 games behind the 10th seed.

Drafted as the number three pick in the NBA draft, Luka Doncic has grown into one of the best players in the league today. Since joining the Lakers at the trade deadline last year, the Slovenian has been the focal point of the team as the Lakers’ front office prepares for life in the post-LeBron James era. The Slovenian guard leads the league in scoring and is currently averaging 32.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.5 assists.

Doncic is well known for his trash-talking on the court and never shying away from a fight. In his post-match interview, Matas Buzelis regretted trash-talking to Doncic as the Bulls forward couldn’t do anything but acknowledge the situation.

I don’t even know what to say honestly. He started killing [us] when I started [trash] talking to him. As you said, I’m not backing down from anybody, no matter who you are. I took the challenge and didn’t execute it this time. Probably not to talk trash to him again.

While Doncic has been under criticism lately for his constant nagging of officials, it has not affected his performances on the court. The Lakers guard nearly recorded a triple-double as he posted 51 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists against the Bulls.

Matas Buzelis trash-talk woke Luka Doncic up

Matas Buzelis admitted he regretted trash-talking and riling Luka Doncic. In the end, it served as a good lesson for the 21-year-old. It was Doncic’s first 50-point game and 13th 40-point game in 82 appearances for the Lakers.

Doncic described his performance as very special and revealed that Buzelis’ trash-talking woke him up after a slow start in the first quarter.

Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic (Image credits – Los Angeles Lakers/X)

In the second quarter I kind of felt it, you know, somebody started talking to me so woke me up. Matas Buzelis. I was surprised. I didn’t say nothing. That’s why I was surprised.

With a 50-point game, Doncic increases his points average as reigning scoring champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is right behind him on 31.8 points per game.

JJ Redick showers high praise on Luka Doncic

Despite being in contention for a direct playoff qualification, many still do not view the Lakers as championship contenders this year. One of the main reasons is Doncic’s poor energy in defense. Unfortunately, his lack of defense has led everyone to forget how dominant he has been this season on the offensive end.

He is posting MVP-caliber numbers with every passing game and is averaging 40.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while shooting over 50 percent from the field in their last four games.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick reminded everyone how great Luka Doncic has been this season and why he deserves plenty of attention.

He’s playing as well as anybody in the NBA right now. It’s probably not being talked about enough. But I’m gonna talk about it.

Doncic and the Lakers will be looking to extend their hot streak as they take on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a highly anticipated showdown between two strong Western Conference teams on Saturday night.

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