Luka Doncic was unhappy with the NBA Cup special court at the Los Angeles Lakers' downtown arena, calling it “slippery” and “dangerous.”
The Slovenian superstar was much happier with the Lakers' unity and resilience after Jackson Hayes stood up for him in his last showdown with Kris Dunn – and he plans to pay Hayes a technical foul.
Doncic had 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds in the team's 135–118 win. Los Angeles Clippers narrowly missed his 10th career 40-point triple-double on Tuesday night.
The Lakers' fifth straight win got even hotter late in the fourth quarter when Dunn sent Doncic down the court with a hit to the back. Doncic stood up and collided with Dunn, who sent the ball into his chest. Hayes responded with a two-handed shove of Dunn, who attempted to retaliate with a punch to Hayes' head while officials and teammates separated them. Hayes will receive a technical foul, but it won't cost him any money.
“I caught him,” Doncic said. “I immediately told him: thank you for supporting me. That's what I like about this team. Everyone supports each other.”
Doncic and Dunn have clashed several times in the recent past.
They were given technical fouls for a vocal altercation when Doncic's Dallas Mavericks faced Dunn's Utah Jazz in December 2023. Doncic stared at Dunn off the court when Dunn was ejected from the Clippers-Mavericks game in December 2024, and Dunn appeared to injure Doncic with a hit from behind when the Lakers faced the Clippers last March. The last confrontation ended with Dunn being sent off for two technical fouls.
“I was waiting for the rebound and got shot in the back,” Doncic said. “I'm not going to just take it. I'm not afraid of anybody. I'm not going to just stand there and let it go. … That's the name of the game. Sometimes it gets physical. There's a lot of bullshit. I live for it and I love it.”
The game was played on the yellow version of the Lakers' special courts deployed throughout the league. NBA Cup games – but Doncic did not feel safe.
“Change the courts, please,” Doncic said, praising the format of the tournament, now in its third year. “It's just slippery. It's dangerous… I've slipped a lot. You could see a lot of players slip. It's dangerous, man.”
The game marked the Lakers' first Cup game at home this season after starting group play with two road games. Doncic said he couldn't remember if the courts in New Orleans and Memphis were more slippery than usual.
“I think it’s just new courts, so it’s quite difficult,” Doncic said. “Need…to play some games.”
Complaints about special courts are not new. Boston star Jaylen Brown revealed he injured his groin while playing on the Toronto Raptors' 2023 NBA Cup court, and other players weighed in on the dangers of playing on unworn hard surfaces.
LeBron James said he saw “a couple of guys” wrestling on the court Tuesday but didn't personally find it dangerous.
The Lakers clinched their group and with their victory earned a spot in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup. That's exciting for Doncic, who understands the concept of cup competition in a way his North American teammates often don't.
“I guess I never got past the group stage, so this is something new for me,” Doncic said. “I played this in Spain, something like this, and I like it.”
When told he earned at least $53,000 from his wild-card win over the Lakers, Doncic, whose career earnings total $198 million, grinned.
“Of course I’ll take the money,” Doncic laughed.
