Luka Doncic flips off ex-teammate Jalen Brunson after Knicks-Lakers
Luka Dončić had a parting reward for Jalen Brunson earlier than the pair of former Mavericks teammates walked off the Backyard courtroom Sunday night time.
As Knicks and Lakers gamers embraced following the Knicks’ 112-100 victory, Dončić flashed his center finger after the star level guard completed one other postgame trade and walked over.
Dončić gave the impression to be joking with the gesture, as Brunson appeared to crack a smile as he acquired nearer.
Brunson and Dončić’s paths intersected again in 2018, when the previous was chosen at No. 33 total within the second spherical and the latter was taken No. 3 total by the Hawks — earlier than getting shipped to Dallas in a commerce that night time.
They then overlapped for 4 seasons earlier than the Mavericks allowed Brunson to stroll in free company and signal with the Knicks, the place he has since grow to be their captain and one of many league’s greatest gamers.
That left Dončić because the cornerstone in Dallas for the subsequent two-plus seasons, till the Mavericks stunningly despatched him to the Lakers final season — a deal that has since backfired for them and led to basic supervisor Nico Harrison being fired.
“Positively bizarre,” Brunson advised reporters postgame when requested about seeing Dončić in a Lakers jersey. “I believe all of us anticipated him to be in Dallas for the longest time. However yeah now he’s a Laker and he’s taking part in nice and nonetheless doing the issues he does.”
Brunson and Dončić each performed integral roles within the Mavericks’ run to the Western Convention finals in 2022, the place they have been eradicated by the Warriors in 5 video games earlier than Brunson’s pivotal resolution in free company adopted.
After they overlapped on the Backyard on Sunday, Dončić, who’s averaging 33.7 factors per recreation and will win the MVP award if he maintains that manufacturing tempo, poured in 30 factors for Los Angeles, whereas Brunson struggled by going 4-for-15 from the sphere — although he managed to dish out 13 assists, permitting the Knicks’ position gamers to flourish.
The victory prolonged the Knicks’ successful streak to 6 video games, and the Lakers have dropped two of their final three getting into Tuesday’s match in opposition to the tanking Nets.
