How would you feel if your team scored less than your rival player’s score? Frustration. There can be no emotion other than that. Well, that was the story between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Luka Doncic on Tuesday. At the end of the first quarter, the Wolves could secure 15 points while the Slovenian Sensation had 16 and the Lakers had 34. Throughout the game, the 26-year-old guard turned out to be a menace for Anthony Edwards & Co., thus leading to a blunder caused out of irritation by Jaden McDaniels.
McDaniels is under fire after Game 2 at Crypto.com Arena. He appeared to trip Luka Doncic with a sneaky leg lock. While the refs missed it, fans didn’t. Neither did the TNT experts Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, who went into a full-on argument over the 24-year-old forward’s fate.
Looking back at the foul, was there intent in it, or not? According to Shaq, “Probably was. But hey, this is the playoffs. I’ve seen people get it; they listen. I don’t mind.” However, Chuck doesn’t agree with the Lakers legend. In his rebuttal, he said, “This is a dirty play right here. Hey, I have seen his leg lock.” You know, such fouls lead to injuries, and for now, an injured Doncic is the last thing LA would want.
Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after not getting a foul call in the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
“Somebody like that. I have seen the Celtics rip Kurt Rambis out of the air. And this back—this playoffs,” Shaq countered. Taking us back to the 1984 NBA finals, where Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics hard fouled Kurt Rambis. Meanwhile, Barkley pointed out: “Yeah. You know you just can’t do this right here. No, you can’t do that. That’s a leg whip.”
Kenny Smith chipped in between the two arguing legends to say, “I thought it was cheap, but not excessive. Playoffs—things like that. It was a cheap play, but I don’t think it was excessive.” Meanwhile, Charles Barkley also believes that suspending Jaden McDaniels for committing the foul on Luka Doncic would be a bit harsh. However, a fine wouldn’t do any harm. “I don’t think he should get suspended. It would merit a fine,” he said. And Shaq retorted: “Stop talking about it then.”
But the Lakers Nation seems to fume with rage. And they demand strict action against the Wolves star. Thus, storming social media, Luka’s fans have a lot to say.
This is a developing story…
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