There was an incident during the second half of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. It started when the Clippers’ Kris Dunn pushed Luka Doncic, causing Doncic to lose his balance and fall. Doncic then had words for Dunn, who shoved the basketball in Doncic’s face.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes then entered the picture and defended his teammate. He shoved Dunn in the back, and Dunn reacted by taking a shot at him. Hayes was assessed a technical foul, while Dunn got two technical fouls and was ejected. The Lakers ended up defeating the Clippers by 17 points, as they steadily built a lead throughout the fourth quarter.
Doncic seemed to say afterward that he will take care of any fine that may be assessed to Hayes as a result of the incident.
“I got it,” Doncic said. “I told him right away…Of course I appreciate it. I told him right away, ‘Thanks for having my back’, and that says a lot about him.”
The Slovenian native has been on a tear to start this season, and it continued on Tuesday. He scored 24 points in the first quarter and had 43 points for the game while shooting 14-of-28 from the field and 7-of-12 from 3-point range. He also had 13 assists, nine rebounds, one steal and one block.
The win clinched a spot in the quarterfinal round of the Emirates NBA Cup for the Lakers while also giving them a 13-4 record. They currently sit in second place in the Western Conference.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic on possible fine for Jaxson Hayes: ‘I got it’
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
