Utah center Gobert said that Doncic ‘tried to bait me’ and that players on the Mavs bench said things that disrespected Jazz players as men.
Two weeks ago in Salt Lake City, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert and Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic found themselves isolated in several late games, which proved decisive in Utah's five-point victory.
On Monday night at the American Airlines Center, when Doncic led the Mavericks to an eight-point victory over the Jazz, he and Gobert got into a heated exchange at the end of the first half - and the unpleasantness continued after the game in the teams. doing. Concerned Interview Room.
Luka Doncic gets his 13th technical foul of the season as he gets heated after Gobert gives him the ball after the halftime buzzer pic.twitter.com/zeht3fYVW6
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) March 8, 2022
In the last second of the first half, Doncic went down the street with Gobert on his left hip. Doncic misses the shot. No foul was said. time up. Gobert grabbed the basketball and threw it into Doncic's hands. Doncic, looking the other way at the time, became enraged and threw the ball back at Gobert. Royce O'Neill of Utah unsuccessfully tried to play the peacemaker.
Doncic was called up for a technical glitch, his 13th of the season, three shy of earning an automatic suspension.
"Emotions, that's it," Doncic said postgame. "I don't know how I got the technical and he didn't. I'm used to it now. He bowled first."
Gobert, who was actually whistled for a technical glitch in the first half, was asked what happened in the play to stir up emotion. His reply was lengthy, during which he called out the players on the Mavericks bench for saying unpleasant things - and Gobert wondered why the referee had not taken control of the situation.
I asked Rudy Gobert what happened at the end of the first half, causing emotions to escalate. During his lengthy answer, he said Mavs bench players were saying things that shouldn’t be said. pic.twitter.com/YC3Bm6U4Db
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) March 8, 2022
"I mean, just feelings," he said. "Just basketball. Europeans, we play with emotion at times. Sports, I think officials should be able to check on both sides and make sure no lines are crossed - whether it's verbally or with tasks.
"Yeah, there were a lot of things to be said. At some point, we're men too. ... For me and my team, I just have to put my mind in the right place. My team needs me in the game. But, at the same time, it's like when you have people on the bench, you know don't play and just keep talking and saying some things. The officers can listen and they don't do anything, like a man. As it is, 'Is it worth being suspended?' And we should not ask ourselves this question.
"I think they have to do a better job of keeping them in check for it. It's verbose, but words have weight, so if someone is insulting you, at that point as men we ask ourselves: 'Stay on the court and don't punish our team?' Or, do we want to stand up for ourselves?
Asked if the players on the Mavericks bench said anything that crossed the line, Gobert said:
"Many things that are being said that would not be said outside a basketball court," he said. "Many things I never say. I'm not perfect, but I don't say things to boys on court that I wouldn't say to their faces outside the locker room."
Luka heated at Gobert after fall. 😳😳 pic.twitter.com/41Vedi9XeP
— House of Highlights (@HoHighlights) March 8, 2022
In the third quarter, Doncic and Gobert tangled up again. Seeing them both were laughing at the moment, but at the moment it happened? Not so much.
On the play in question, Doncic entered the lane and threw a slam to Dwight Powell on Gobert and an alley for an 85–63 Dallas lead. As Gobert tries to lead upcourt, Doncic tries to interrupt him, then falls backwards, exaggeratingly, apparently trying to get a second technical and an ejection on Gobert. .
"I mean, I knew," said Gobert, laughing. "He whispered something in my ear and he tried to trap me for being mad, but I knew what he was trying to do, so just tried to run back. He was in my way and in a way was stuck. "
Gobert laughed again.
"I mean, just so you know, I think that's part of the game too. But, yeah, it was fun."
Officials reviewed the video of the play to see if Gobert had committed "a hostile act", but it was clear to everyone who saw the video that Doncic had flopped. Even Doncic later hesitantly admitted so.
"I thought it was worse," he said. "Then when I looked. It was nothing. We were all laughing on the bench."
The Mavericks and Jazz are battling for position in the Western Conference standings and will have another meeting in Dallas on March 27.
Then they could very well meet in the first round of the playoffs. By all indications, this will be an eventful series.