Luka Doncic got to face off against Dillon Brooks for the first time this season on Tuesday night. While many wouldn’t exactly relish going up against Brooks, Doncic isn’t one of them. When asked about whether the Houston Rockets forward’s antics and physicality faze him, the 24-year-old claimed he loves facing off against Brooks.
“No, I love playing against him,” Doncic said. “I always say I respect him so much for what he does. We were laughing too together… Like I say, I like playing against him, it’s always fun.”
(starts at 2:04 mark):
Considering Doncic ended the night with 41 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals while going 15-29 from the field, I’d say he isn’t fazed by Brooks. On the contrary, the Slovenian seems to relish going up against such characters, and Doncic was giving Brooks the business in this one, as you can see below.
Luka Doncic vs. Dillon Brooks. Let 'em know. #MFFL | @dallasmavs on @BallySportsSW 📺 pic.twitter.com/rVb37KH4Vw
— FanDuel Sports Network Southwest (@FanDuelSN_SW) November 29, 2023
The four-time All-Star also had some words for Brooks after the 27-year-old missed what was an easy layup.
Luka Doncic was NOT impressed by the drive by Dillon Brooks #MFFL pic.twitter.com/UntZRgFW3y
— FanDuel Sports Network Southwest (@FanDuelSN_SW) November 29, 2023
We talk about not wanting to poke the bear that is LeBron James and I think the same applies for Doncic as well. Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns certainly found that out the hard way in the playoffs last year. Luka’s terrific performance in this one helped the Mavericks get a 121-115 win as they returned to winning ways following a loss to the Clippers last time out.
Luka Doncic Explained Why He Respects Dillon Brooks
The last time Doncic and Brooks faced off before this was at the 2023 FIBA World Cup earlier this year. That night, Brooks and Canada got the better of Doncic and Slovenia to advance to the semifinals. After that game, Luka explained why he respects Brooks.
“I think Dillon played great. He was very physical like he always does. A lot of people don’t like him, but I respect him for what he does and he does that stuff really good.”
Brooks is pretty good at what he does, which is playing defense and getting under his opponent’s skin. He’s one of those characters who you love when he’s on your team but absolutely hate as an opponent.
The Rockets were ridiculed for signing him this offseason but he has proven to be a success in Houston so far. Brooks is averaging 13.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.0% from beyond the arc. He has also helped make the Rockets one of the best defensive teams in the league, and it speaks to Doncic’s excellence that he was still able to rip them apart.
Luka Doncic Is Having A Dominant Season
Doncic came into this 2023-24 season in the best shape that he’d ever been in and the results have been terrific. He is averaging 31.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 38.8% from beyond the arc.
He and Kyrie Irving are also now playing much better alongside each other and as a result, the Mavericks are off to a fine start. They are currently third in the standings in the Western Conference with an 11-6 record and unless things somehow go horribly wrong from here on out, should be one of the top seeds come the end of the season.
With how they imploded toward the end of last season, that would certainly be a step in the right direction.
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