Luka Doncic on Devin Booker's 'The Luka Special' comment: I don't really care... It's all right

What’s the competitive dynamic in this series like between you, Chris Paul and Devin Booker? Luka Doncic: “It’s just, like I say, it’s playoffs. It’s always going to be like that, so it’s nothing new to me.” Did you see the clip of Booker after he got fouled and called his dramatics “The Luka Special”? Doncic: “Yeah.” What did you think of that? Doncic: “I don’t really care. It’s all right.”
Source: Callie Caplan, Brad Townsend @ Dallas Morning News

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Kellan Olson @KellanOlson
When Dallas goes small tonight w/o Powell and puts more pressure on Paul/Booker, this is the Ayton the Suns need.
He actively seeks out screens and then takes two confident dribbles to get within hook shot range.
Short roll has been there all series. Should be again tonight. pic.twitter.com/TeHATyXVnv – 4:48 PM Brad Townsend @townbrad
Luka Doncic was relaxed and conversational during his media availability this morning. I thought he said some interesting things, especially … pic.twitter.com/4sjvn75CBU – 3:58 PM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Luka Doncic notes Phoenix #Suns looking at Dallas #Mavericks bench late in Game 5 loss (w/videos) #NBAPlayoffs2022 #NBAPlayoffs azcentral.com/story/sports/n… via @azcentral – 1:36 PM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Recent #Suns stories:
Booker distant 4th #NBA MVP voting https://t.co/xeZ1BVe8PJ
#Suns look to end chippy series in Game 6 https://t.co/8Fay5Xmh1m
‘The Luka special’: Devin Booker https://t.co/M4fv7NBdex
‘Everybody acts tough when they up’: Luka Doncic https://t.co/Id6iYPTwAu pic.twitter.com/t7WuYqBQCq – 1:32 PM Brad Townsend @townbrad
Luka Doncic Q&A: Trash talk vs. Suns, MVP voting, Mavs’ keys to win Game 6 and more dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 1:22 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
The full Luka Doncic Q&A this morning:
Trash talk vs. Suns, MVP voting, Mavs’ keys to win Game 6 and more dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 1:20 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
In a series full with tension vs. the Suns, who’s the Mavs’ best trash talker?
Luka Doncic’s take: “Me? No. . . Theo, probably. It’s not Boban, for sure. Maybe it’s Boban, but just against me.” – 12:47 PM Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
Luka Doncic talked about the “butterflies in the stomach” before a potential elimination game. “I like that feeling,” he said. He has averaged 42 points, 8 rebounds and 12.5 assists in two elimination games, but Mavs lost both to Clippers. – 12:46 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Luka Doncic on Mavs’ film session after Game 5 blowout: “You have to watch when you do good stuff — and when you do bad stuff. I think the bad stuff is even more important. We watched mostly the bad part because it was mostly bad parts. … In the playoffs it’s how you respond.” – 12:37 PM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Luka Doncic on following:
Devin Booker’s “Luka Special” line: “Don’t really care.”
Finishing 5th in MVP voting: “I want to win a championship.”
His “everybody acts tough when they up” after Game 5: “When you’re up, everybody is trying to talk.” #Mavs #Suns #NBAPlayoffs2022 pic.twitter.com/FQ9p37nbeO – 12:30 PM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
“There’s always intensity.” Luka Doncic on playoff basketball as #Mavs #Suns enter Game 6 in #NBAPlayoffs2022 pic.twitter.com/ndF9C8YqlH – 12:17 PM Brad Townsend @townbrad
Doncic says “I like the feeling, the butterflies you get,” before big games, including potential elimination games. – 11:58 AM Brad Townsend @townbrad
Doncic says that, of course, the Mavs watched tape of Game 5. Even the bad parts. “And there was lot of bad” parts, he says. pic.twitter.com/00BGe0UqF3 – 11:54 AM Chris Herring @Herring_NBA
It’s always so refreshing to grab packages when you know there’s incredible stuff that’s been delivered. Have been waiting on this Biggie book, from @JustinTinsley. Am so excited to dig in. Congrats bro! pic.twitter.com/6I7WxMnRqq – 11:52 AM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Luka Doncic from halfcourt at #Mavs morning walkthrough. #NBAPlayoffs2022 pic.twitter.com/WhLCIE3afm – 11:50 AM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
The Mavs are booing Luka Doncic at shootaround today … bc he’s too good. pic.twitter.com/Z4nVMM4AMr – 11:46 AM Dave McMenamin @mcten
Chris Paul is a fierce floor commander and Devin Booker is a cool scoring assassin, but the Phoenix Suns’ team personality comes out during a chaotic, sometimes goofy, but always fun pregame ritual.
My ESPN feature on the Suns’ hype-inducing huddle:
es.pn/3yxZlxO – 10:41 AM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Devin Booker finishes distant 4th in #NBA MVP voting, but should start next season in conversation azcentral.com/story/sports/n… via @azcentral – 10:34 AM Brad Townsend @townbrad
Where’s Playoff Luka? Facing elimination, Mavs need Doncic to rekindle postseason magic dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 10:27 AM David Thorpe @coachthorpe
Writing this before tonight’s game in Dallas. I clearly missed on early Booker projections. Not that I didn’t like him. I just didn’t ever consider him much. Maybe it was the franchise he was on. Regardless, he deserved better for me. I think he’s incredible. A killer on court. – 9:05 AM Todd Whitehead @CrumpledJumper
Looking at some of the ways Luka creates easy shots for his teammates. pic.twitter.com/HzXc6dMpAv – 12:36 AM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
Devin Booker finished a distant fourth in the #NBA MVP voting as he received one second-place vote, eight third-place votes, 49 fourth-place votes and 22 fifth-place votes.
Chris Paul got two fifth-place votes. #Suns pic.twitter.com/OMEcEMPtE7 – 10:41 PM Law Murray @LawMurrayTheNU
Most 40-point games, last 4 postseasons:
– Giannis Antetokounmpo (now 7)
– Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant (6)
– Devin Booker, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray (4)
– Damian Lillard (3)
– James Harden, Ja Morant, Jayson Tatum (2) – 9:53 PM Wade Baldwin @The_Fourth_Wade
I hear slack everytime I say it !!!!!! Jrue holiday is a top 5 pg in the nba. Steph , dame , Luka , Cp3 , Jrue holiday – 9:51 PM J. Michael Falgoust @ThisIsJMichael
You know you excuse makers who try to discredit other players’ championships to uplift your team/favorite players when they lose: when you’re made of championship stuff, you get it done. Series far from over but see Milwaukee minus Middleton and Phoenix w/o Booker – 9:42 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Klay Thompson’s recent reading list: “The Breaks of the Game” (David Halberstam) “Young, Black, Rich and Famous” (Todd Boyd), “Hard Labor” (@Sam Smith), “Last of the Blue Water Hunters” (Carlos Eyles) & “Book of the Seven Seas” (Peter Freuchen) on.nba.com/3P9XsNz – 9:13 PM Brad Townsend @townbrad
Where’s Playoff Luka? Facing elimination, Mavs need Doncic to rekindle postseason magic dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 7:53 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Mavericks’ Luka Doncic finishes 5th in MVP voting, one spot behind Suns’ Devin Booker dallasnews.com/sports/maveric… – 7:07 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Stat leaders among the top 5 MVP finalists:
PPG — Embiid
RPG — Jokic
APG — Luka
SPG — Jokic
BPG — Embiid
FG% — Jokic
+/- — Booker pic.twitter.com/2Ob9rCrdSE – 6:47 PM Callie Caplan @CallieCaplan
Luka Doncic: Year 4, No. 5 in MVP voting behind Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Devin Booker.
Luka and Booker both got 1 second-place vote but Booker got 8 third-place votes to Luka’s 0. pic.twitter.com/rtNccIdPzF – 6:44 PM Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
“We’re going to be ready. I just know we are.”
Mikal Bridges when asked his reaction to Luka Doncic saying “everybody acts tough when they up.” while leaving the court after #Mavs Game 5 loss to #Suns in Phoenix. #NBAPlayoffs2022 pic.twitter.com/6XPwoKzRgC – 6:41 PM Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
Jayson Tatum finished 6th in MVP voting, between Luka Doncic and Ja Morant. Tatum only got 4th and 5th place votes. pic.twitter.com/husNwbq977 – 6:36 PM Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Devin Booker finished 4th in MVP voting: pic.twitter.com/E1YJ1v51kb – 6:35 PM Eddie Sefko @ESefko
Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Chris Paul. Three stars at different points in their career — all trying to rock the world. Check it out:
mavs.com/three-supersta… – 4:33 PM Kevin O’Connor @KevinOConnorNBA
The Suns are targeting Luka Doncic as a screener defender 24.6 times per game this series, per @SecondSpectrum. That’s the most of any non-big this postseason and up from 9 with the Mavericks this regular season. pic.twitter.com/vYpx3BagcQ – 4:16 PM Kevin O’Connor @KevinOConnorNBA
Mavericks field goal percentages on passes by Luka Doncic this series:
Game 1: 47.6% (10/21)
Game 2: 42.1% (8/19)
Game 3: 52.9% (9/17)
Game 4: 60% (12/20)
Game 5: 25% (3/12)
That’s via @SecondSpectrum. Low attempts and low percentage in Game 5 not a good formula for success. – 3:45 PM

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