Luka Doncic Fires Back at Detroit Pistons Crowd

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Being one of the NBA’s most popular players, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic has learned to live with going against a hostile crowd every time he’s on the road.
With opposing fan bases wanting to get into the head of the MVP candidate, Doncic is often the center of attention when it comes to negative chants for the visitors.
On Saturday night, Detroit Pistons fans hit Luka with a chant in an attempt to knock him off his game. Based on the way he played, it’s safe to say the plan was unsuccessful.
As it turns out, Luka was fueled by the drama.
First, he was asked if he heard the chants.
“In Detroit? Come on, man. I’m good. I don’t know why they would do that,” the All-Star told reporters after the game.
Then when posed with a follow-up question, Doncic confirmed that he embraces it.
“I don’t know why they would do that. I love it. They know it’s not true, and they keep going, so I love it,” he added.
Not only did the Mavericks issue the Pistons loss No. 53 on the year Saturday with a comfortable 142-124 win, but Doncic was the leader in putting Detroit away.
Luka Doncic Makes History on Saturday
Although he entered the game listed as questionable, Doncic was cleared for action and collected a 37-minute shift. He hit on 13 of his 24 shots from the field and knocked down nine of his ten free throws to score 39 points.
Along with his near-40-point night, Doncic also dished out ten assists and collected ten rebounds. He produced a triple-double for the sixth game in a row, making NBA history as he became the first player to have six-straight 30-plus-point triple-doubles.
Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia
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