Matas Buzelis Fully Plans to Trash Talk Luka Doncic Again When Bulls Meet Lakers

Matas Buzelis wants all the smoke.

The forward has been that way since well before he was facing off against superstars at the NBA level. Many fans will remember his bold callouts ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft. Most notably, he challenged Zaccharie Risacher, who was the projected No. 1 overall pick at the time, to a game of one-on-one.

“He just doesn’t want to see me. I’m just going to keep it real with everybody. He doesn’t want to see me, and I’m going to stand out that," Buzelis said during a 2024 interview with Shams Charania.

With those words in mind, it should come as no surprise that he hasn't been able to help himself two years into his pro career. It was only a few months ago that Buzelis decided to talk some smack to the Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic. To say it didn't end well would be an understatement.

To Buzelis' credit, he did have 17 points at halftime compared to Doncic's 24 points. It was a close battle initially. But Buzelis woke something up inside the All-NBA guard, who finished the night with 51 points on 54.8 percent shooting from the field. This included draining nine three-pointers. How did Buzelis wrap up the night? With only 5 more points scored.

After the game, Buzelis was asked what he may have learned from the exchange of barks with Doncic.

"Probably not to talk to him," the second-year player answered.

Fast forward a few months later, however, and Buzelis is walking back that statement. In an appearance on Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady, Buzelis reflected on the trash-talking incident. While he admitted it was a rough night, he insisted that it would not stop him from opening his mouth in the future.

“In the media, I was saying I’m probably not going to trash talk again to him. But I really don’t care. I’m going to do it again … It was tough. Whenever you talk to him, he starts turning it up for real. But I said I wasn’t going to do it again, but I’m definitely going to do it again. I was giving the political answer, but I don’t really care. I need my get-back. I’ll see him this year," Buzelis said.

Buzelis also specifically mentioned Doncic's reaction after the game. He recalled the star sitting in his postgame press conference and using the box score in front of him to look up Buzelis' name. In other words, Doncic acted as if he had no clue who Buzelis was.

“I have made respect for him. He’s a great player," Buzelis made clear. "But, on the court, I don’t really care who I’m playing against.”

When Do the Bulls Play the Lakers Next?

Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots against Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis (14) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

All things considered, it's hard not to respect Matas Buzelis' mindset. The best NBA players have a certain level of irrational confidence. He believes he is the best player on the floor, and he isn't going to change that mentality no matter who is wearing the opposite jersey.

At the same time, there is an art to trash-talking. Luka Doncic completely turned a corner once Buzelis gave him something to work with. And, obviously, that proved to be a major problem for the team as a whole. You never want to make things harder on your teammates than they already are!

Nevertheless, this should only make fans more excited about the next time these two will face off. The Bulls will play the Lakers twice this regular season, with their first meeting serving as Chicago's first of 2027. They will battle at the United Center on January 2. The second contest is set for February 16, 2027. Some post-Valentine's Day love will still be in the air ... just not between Buzelis and Doncic!

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