Lakers' Luka Doncic Responds After Matas Buzelis' Trash Talk Backfires Badly

During Thursday’s win over the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic took his game to another level, as he dropped a season-high 51 points.

The Lakers have won seven of their last eight games, with Doncic scoring 31 or more points in four straight games, all of which resulted in wins.

Although Doncic doesn’t need any extra motivation at this point, he got a little extra push on Thursday night, with Bulls’ Matas Buzelis poking the bear, so to speak.

Luka Doncic Fueled By Trash-Talking Matas Buzelis

Luka: "Somebody started talking to me so that woke me up. Matas Buzelis. I was surprised. I was shocked. I'm not gonna say what he said. If I would say that, I would definitely get a tech. It woke me up. I didn't say nothing, that's why I was surprised. Not very nice" 😂 https://t.co/6YaSyUXMBe pic.twitter.com/411XMOZLVV
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) March 13, 2026

After torching the Bulls for his highest point total as a Laker so far, Doncic revealed that Buzelis was talking trash, which “woke” him up.

“It feels special,” Luka Doncic said. “I obviously haven’t had a 50-point game in a year, so it feels very special. In the second quarter I felt that somebody started talking to me, so that woke me up. Matas Buzelis. I was surprised, I was shocked. I’m not gonna say what he said but if I said it, I would definitely get a [technical foul]. But really, these games, sometimes you’re going easy and we kind of went easy in the first quarter, then he woke me up.”

Much like Lakers legend Kobe Bryant during his playing career in Los Angeles, the last thing an opposing player should do is try to talk trash to Doncic, as it only elevates his game.

Buzelis was also asked about the jawing going back and forth between the two during the game, and it seems he may have learned his lesson.

Matas Buzelis Reveals Lesson Learned From Talking Trash to Luka Doncic

Matas Buzelis on Luka Doncic: "What was my take? ... I don't even know what to say, honestly. He started killing obviously when I started talking to him."

Asked about the experience: "Probably not to talk to him." pic.twitter.com/sDV75OaFG8
— Law Murray 🕯️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) March 13, 2026

“I don't even know what to say, honestly. He started killing, obviously, when I started talking to him,” Buzelis said of Doncic. “I don’t back down from anybody. No matter who you are. I took on the challenge and didn’t execute.”

Buzelis was asked what he learned from the head-to-head experience against Doncic, in which he gave up 51 points to the Lakers superstar.

"Probably not to talk to him," Buzelis said.

Doncic has proven time and time again that opponents shouldn’t give him any added motivation, as he’s driven by it and will continue to torch teams and players that don’t learn, like Buzelis did this week.

On Saturday, Doncic and company will get back to work, as they’ll host Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a game that will be important for both teams, who are vying for playoff position in the Western Conference.

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