The Boston Celtics are fresh off a blowout 111-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, which was their eighth win in their past nine games. And yet, in the aftermath of this game, all folks can talk about is how bad the Lakers, particularly superstar point guard Luka Doncic, looked throughout this game.
Doncic’s numbers on the night weren’t awful (25 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 9/22 FGM), but his effort, particularly on defense, was lacking, and he was seen frequently arguing with the referees throughout the game. This isn’t the first time that Doncic has been bashed for his treatment of referees, but according to NBA analyst Zach Lowe, he believes the Slovenian guard’s constant complaining on the court has made him “unwatchable.”
“The whining is back to peak Dallas levels,” Lowe said on “The Zach Lowe Show.” It’s every f***ing play. Just play, man. Not everything is a foul. Are you playing to draw a foul or playing basketball? Which one are you doing? Are you playing one-on-one with the refs? It’s every possession now. It’s completely out of control. It’s unwatchable.”
The Celtics have had success against Doncic by playing a physical brand of defense against him, as he eventually gets frustrated and begins complaining frequently, which is precisely what happened on Sunday. Sure, he had 25 points, but in the grand scheme of the game, it didn’t matter in the slightest.
Even without the sort of star-studded cast they have had at their disposal in recent seasons, Boston is finding ways to get the best of its opponents on a near-nightly basis. They will look to do so again on Tuesday night, as they will square off against the injury-riddled Phoenix Suns at 9 p.m. ET.
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