It didn’t take long for Rudy Gobert to hear about it.
In fact, the four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year got an earful from Luka Doncic immediately after the Mavericks superstar sank the game-winning shot after crossing out Gobert in Dallas’ 109-108 victory over the Timberwolves on Friday night with 3.8 seconds left on the clock.
“Motherf–ker!” Doncic was caught yelling at the Minnesota center on the TNT broadcast.
“You can’t f–king guard me!” The clutch make capped off a 32-point triple-double for the Slovenian superstar, adding 13 assists and 10 rebounds in the win, giving the Mavericks a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference final series.
“I was just trying to get to my spot and step back. I’m confident in that shot,” Doncic told reporters after the win.
While Gobert was no slouch in the stats department — he posted 16 points and 10 rebounds on the night — he ended up on the wrong side of the signature Game 2 moment.
“I can’t move fast, but I can move faster than him,” Doncic said of Gobert.
Doncic’s role in playoff lore was cemented when Naz Reid’s last-ditch effort at the buzzer rimmed out, sending Minnesota back home for Game 3 on Sunday in a serious hole.
“As you’ve seen with Luka, he loves that stage. He doesn’t run from it,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “I thought he was great the whole game, keeping guys together, his energy.”
Game 3 shifts to Dallas on Sunday as the Mavs look to build a commanding 3-0 advantage.
