Luka Doncic is already expecting Jaxson Hayes to be fined for sticking up for the Los Angeles Lakers star during the final minutes of last night’s 135-118 NBA Cup win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
With 3:33 left in the match, Hayes confronted Kris Dunn, as the latter shoved Doncic to the ground during a boxout. The Los Angeles Lakers center earned a technical foul, and Doncic praised Hayes during the postgame interview.
“Everybody got each other’s back, you know, so I appreciate him. I’ll pay his fine, for sure, but that shows what kind of team we are,” Doncic said via Lakers Empire on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Doncic was amazing in the home victory, recording 43 points, nine rebounds, 13 assists, and seven three-pointers on 14-for-28 shooting from the field and 8-for-11 shooting from the free throw line. He and co-stars Austin Reaves and LeBron James combined for a whopping 99 points.
Los Angeles Lakers News: Jaxson Hayes opens up on having Luka Doncic’s back against Kris Dunn
Jaxson Hayes came to Luka Doncic’s defense when the game became chippy towards the end, and for the Los Angeles Lakers center, it was all about being there for his teammate.
“I just didn’t like the way he shoved Luka,” Hayes said via Lakers Nation. “I feel a lot of camaraderie with this team. I feel like we’re all very together and we’re all really close. We all want to protect each other.”
“We highlight that stuff to our guys all the time, whether it’s celebrating the guy making a shot,” head coach JJ Redick added. “We’re not saying you have to do that, those are not requirements. But typically, guys show their cards, show their hands, whether they like each other or not. Tonight is another example of that.”
