Watch: Luka Doncic and Devin Booker exchange words after foul on Doncic, rekindle old rivalry
Luka Doncic and Devin Booker faced off against each other on Monday night, showcasing another aggressive showdown between the two. In the heat of the moment, both stars exchanged words which fueled their strife from last season.
Late in the third quarter, the Dallas Mavericks were up big against the Phoenix Suns with a score of 91-72. Doncic received the ball on the left side of the floor as he tried to post it up to Landry Shamet. Booker quickly ran to give his teammate help but committed a foul on the Slovenian star.
Afterwards, the two were seen talking to each other competitively. Fans at the American Airlines Arena were too loud and the words said by the two stars weren't audible.
Luka and D Book exchanged words after Luka got fouled 👀 https://t.co/DMlwnah13F
The Mavs and Luka had the last laugh as they obliterated Devin and the Suns 130-111. Doncic played like an MVP for his squad, scoring 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Dallas improved to 12-11 after the win, giving them a short, two-game win streak to help them gain momentum before their matchup against the Denver Nuggets.
Booker, on the other hand, struggled to carry the short-handed Suns team to a win. The three-time All-Star had difficulty shooting the basketball last night. The 6-foot-5 guard only had 11 points, five assists and two rebounds while only making four shots from the field.
Deandre Ayton did most of the heavy lifting for Phoenix as he had 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. With their loss against Dallas, Phoenix fell to 16-8, but are still ranked as the No. 1 team in the Western Conference.
Luka Doncic will face Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday as they seek to keep their short winning streak alive.
Also read: How does Luka Doncic's Dallas Mavericks contract add to his net worth?
Luka Doncic and Devin Booker have re-ignited an old rivalry
Back in the 2000s, rivalries in the Western Conference were a huge thing in the NBA. The Texas teams played their best against each other. The Pacific division, specifically the Suns and the LA Lakers, were fiery when it came to battling it out against each other.
The rivalry that Luka Doncic and Devin Booker were able to re-ignite was between the Mavericks and the Suns, headlined by Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. Both were former teammates in Dallas before the latter moved on to Phoenix to lead his own team.
They became best friends when they played together and it added another element of intensity whenever they would match up against each other. Although the legendary players only faced each other twice in the playoffs, their rivalry was carried off in the regular season, making their matchups memorable.
Now, the current faces of each franchise have a chance to play memorable and intense games for the fans. It was already seen last season, but fans are hungry for more intense battles between the two.
Also read: “What is the love affair that everyone has with Luka” – Kendrick Perkins doesn't consider Luka Doncic an MVP after Mavericks drops in rankings