"Probably Not to Talk to Him:" Bulls' Matas Buzelis Owns Up to Luka Doncic Trash Talk

Fresh off a surprising win over the Golden State Warriors, the Chicago Bulls came out confident in Los Angeles.

Matas Buzelis, in particular, looked ready to have another big night. Not only was he fresh off a career-high 41 points, but the second-year forward had dropped 31 points in his first appearance at Crypto.com Arena the season prior. That 2025 performance featured plenty of highlight plays, including a nasty behind-the-back move against Luka Doncic for the baseline dunk.

The Bulls would end Thursday night's first quarter on a 9-0 run to knot things up 26 apiece. Buzelis already had 7 of his 17 first-half points on the board to help build Chicago's momentum. But then he made a huge mistake.

As the second quarter dragged on, the Chicago Sports Network broadcast picked up on something. After Doncic drained a mid-range jumper, he turned right toward Buzelis and told the 21-year-old to "keep talking." The two could be seen jawing as they jogged back up the floor roughly a minute later. Consider the bear poked.

Doncic proceeded to single out Buzelis time and again. Not only would he motion in his direction after future buckets, but he would even call for the iso when the forward was stationed in front of him. Doncic would finish the night with a season-high 51 points on 17-31 shooting. There was absolutely nothing the Bulls could do, and Doncic admitted after the game that it was all motivated by Buzelis' antics.

“In the second quarter, I kind of felt it. Somebody started to talking to me, so that woke me up … Matas Buzelis. I was surprised. I was shocked," Doncic told the media after the game. "I’m not going to say what he said, but if I would have said that, I would have definitely got a tech. Kind of these games where you’re going easy, and we went easy in the first quarter. Then, it woke me up.”

Pressed for some more information on what Buzelis had to say, Doncic only reiterated how surprised he was and deemed the words "not very nice." As for Buzelis himself, he sounded like someone who learned a valuable lesson.

"I mean, he started killing obviously when I started talking to him. I just said I don’t back down from anybody. No matter who you are. I took on the challenge and didn’t execute," Buzelis told CHSN.

What was Buzelis' ultimate take away from the experience?

“Probably not to talk to him.”

Matas Buzelis Learns the Hard Way

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

For what it's worth, it's not as if Matas Buzelis didn't put together a solid night. Did Luka Doncic get the best of him on the offensive end? Absolutely, but did anyone really ever expect the alternative?

Buzelis still deserves credit for taking advantage of Los Angeles's lackluster defense. He dropped 22 points with 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. The outing marked his third straight game with 20+ points and sixth in the last seven games. He may have poked the bear, but he didn't get up and run in the opposite direction.

This will certainly act as a learning experience of when and where to play the trash-talking game. When it comes to someone as talented as Luka Doncic, the last thing you want to do is give him extra motivation. At the same time, it is hard not to appreciate this mentality and response from Buzelis. It was well-documented coming into the 2024 NBA Draft that the versatile forward wasn't afraid to chirp. Remember when he directly called out projected No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher?

Some of the NBA's best have this constant chip on their shoulder, and it sure feels like a personality the organization has needed in the locker room for years. Of course, there is a fine line between cocky and confident, but Buzelis appears to walk it well. The fact that he was able to sit there and own it after the game underscores that point. He could have doubled down. He could have kept the trash talk going. Instead, he tipped his cap to Doncic and moved on.

With that said, something tells me this saga isn't over. Neither Doncic nor Buzelis is one to forget, so this might be one to circle on the calendar come the start of the 2026-27 season.

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