Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard went bucket for bucket Tuesday night, but the Portland Trail Blazers ultimately held on for a 136-129 win. However, the final score wasn’t the only thing that caught fans’ attention. A short clip from the second quarter has since sparked a different conversation.

The clip, shared on X, picks up with 2:44 remaining in the second quarter and Portland holding a 61-59 lead. Doncic draws a foul, throws his hands up, and breaks into a grin, with Lillard and Donovan Clingan standing right beside him. The broadcast described it as a friendly conversation, and Luka certainly had reason to be in a good mood. He headed to the free-throw line and knocked down all three attempts, taking the Lakers from two points down to a one-point lead.

By that point, Los Angeles had gone 12-for-13 from the charity stripe, while Luka had already piled up 24 points. But the mood shifted with 1:34 left in the quarter. This time, Lillard appeared to use a similar foul-drawing technique and got the whistle in his favor. The Blazers guard then made contact with Doncic, who appeared to take a blow to the jaw. That could explain why the Slovenian didn’t get back up right away.

His teammates quickly gathered around him. When Doncic finally got to his feet, he continued working his jaw, prompting one of the broadcasters to joke, “Hopefully Luka doesn’t need the dentist.”

Lillard missed the initial free throw but converted his next two attempts, putting Portland ahead by one. The sequence also brought renewed attention to the criticism Doncic often faces over his foul-drawing approach. While he is known for using his reactions to draw the officials’ attention, moments when he doesn’t get the whistle have also fueled accusations that he overreacts.

Fans upset with Luka Doncic behavior

Despite his 41-point performance, the fan’s clip on X garnered over 1 million views. “Luka foul baits and laughs, then Dame does the same thing to him, and he cries.”

Luka Doncic has been called out for constant flopping, lack of defense, and over-reliance on referees to call fouls. Recently, Hall of Famer Tim Hardaway blasted the Lakers guard for jawing at Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.

“Luka, if you’re gonna talk s—t, stop looking at the referees for help. Go out there and play ball. Go out there and hoop.”

It’s a running narrative, and fans caught it. “Luka in a nutshell!” and another one stated, “I said it before: as a Laker fan, I have always had a problem with Luka doing this crybaby sh*t! 🤦🏾‍♂️.”

Netizens even brought back Lendeborg’s issues with Luka Doncic. The Warriors rookie said he lost respect for the Slovenian because of his theatrics. They even exchanged some NSFW comments, and it was Lendeborg who ended up with a technical foul. Now, one comment was supporting the Warriors star.

“This is why Yaxel called him out on game 1. Luka nonstop crying.”

Another fan summarized the game. Damian Lillard got the last laugh by hitting a clutch three-pointer with 43 seconds. Dame Time finished with 21 points, including four threes, while Luka Doncic scored a game-high 41 points and nine assists. Despite his efforts, the Lakers suffered their first loss after starting the season unbeaten.

“Dame got the last laugh anyway. He hit the three with 43 seconds left to beat Luka’s Lakers 136-129”

The matchup also saw Ziaire Williams, Ja Morant and Toumani Camara receiving flopping technicals during the final six minutes. The Lakers’ head coach defended his player, while Morant didn’t agree with the call.

“They’re just looking for the theatrical stuff,” said Reddick. “I also think Ziaire’s body naturally moves a certain way, so I’ll have to go back and look at it. I don’t think it was a flop.”

Morant added, “I just showed my hands and took a bump in my chest. It ain’t like I fell. I just kept going backwards. It is what it is. I’ll try to appeal it. I think it’s like a $2,000 [fine].”

For Williams, it was the second straight flopping technical. But the talking point remained Luka Doncic’s action and reactions as fans continue to call out the flopping nature of the Lakers guard.

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