Luka Doncic caught fire during a vital Game 5 in Oklahoma City to give his team a 3-2 advantage in the Western Conference semifinals. After a disappointing 100-96 Game 4 loss where Doncic finished with just 18 points on 6-20 shooting, the Slovenian superstar reminded us all what makes him so special on Wednesday night.
Doncic finished the game with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists to record his sixth career playoff triple-double. The 18,203 fans in attendance at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City did not make it easy on him with many jeering and booing the Dallas Mavericks’s guard throughout the night. Those fans may be wise to avoid poking the bear next time around.
According to Doncic, the jeers from the crowd only drove him to play better. During the postgame interview, the 25-year-old was asked about the hostile environment and playing under the pressure.
“I love it. And when they chant, ‘Luka sucks,’ it gets me going,” said Doncic.
"I love it. And when they chant, 'Luka sucks,' it gets me going."
Luka is unfazed by the OKC crowd 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/xRTAIydq39
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 16, 2024
It seems like every time Doncic looses a game, he responds with a big game. After the Game 1 loss, he responded with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Over the playoffs he is averaging 27.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 9 assists over 11 games.
Game 6 is set to take place in Dallas at the American Airlines Arena. There may not be a hostile crowd awaiting the All-Star back in Texas, but the Mavs will once again look to Doncic to lead them to their second Western Conference Finals in three years.
