'Biggest Crybaby': Knicks Legend Criticizes Mavs' Luka Doncic
The Dallas Mavericks sorely struggled to score in their 107-77 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday. At one point, frustrations reached a boiling point where Luka Doncic was called for his 14th technical foul of the season.
Doncic was called for the tech in the fourth quarter when the Mavericks already trailed by 23 points. The call was made in response to his arguing over a play that did not result in a shooting foul when he felt it was warranted.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
“He’s one of the biggest crybabies in the league,” Knicks legend Walt Frazier said on the broadcast after Doncic was called for a technical foul. “Look at him, he’s always crying.”
One of the brewing storylines surrounding Doncic, beyond his incredible level of play since not receiving a single media vote to be an All-Star starter, is his large amount of technical fouls. He is now two away from receiving an automatic one-game suspension.
“It was nothing man," Doncic said in response when asked about picking up another technical foul. "Just can’t no more.”
Back in early December, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd made public comments about Doncic needing to understand when to talk to officials as opposed to doing it in favor of getting back on defense.
USA Today
"I would lean toward playing 5-on-5 a bit more," Kidd said. "You're not going to get any calls. Officials, they tend to not stop the game to change calls. You have to understand there's a point in time in games — dead balls — to be able to talk to officials."
It will be crucial for Doncic to avoid putting himself and his teammates in a position where he’d be sidelined for an important game down the stretch. With playoff positioning on the line in the Western Conference, the Mavericks need to maximize everything they possibly can — not just to potentially gain home-court advantage, but to also avoid slipping into the NBA Play-In Tournament.
