Matas Buzelis walked away from Thursday night’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with a lesson he likely won’t forget anytime soon. After briefly exchanging words with Luka Doncic during the game, the Chicago Bulls second-year forward watched the Lakers superstar erupt for one of the most dominant performances of the season.
By the end of the night, Buzelis was able to summarize the experience into a blunt six-word takeaway.
“I don’t even know what to say, honestly. He started killing obviously when I started talking to him,” Buzelis said after the game. When asked what he learned from the moment, he added: “Probably not to talk to him.”
Doncic delivered a masterclass in the Lakers’ 142-130 win, finishing with 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while shooting 17-of-31 from the field and 9-of-14 from three-point range. It marked the first 50-point game of his career as a member of the Lakers and the eighth of his NBA career.
Trash Talk Sparks Doncic’s Takeover
The exchange between Buzelis and Doncic occurred during the second quarter of the game. While the exact words remain unknown, the interaction appeared to ignite the Slovenian superstar. Doncic admitted afterward that the comments caught him off guard.
“Somebody started talking to me so that woke me up,” Doncic said. “Matas Buzelis. I was surprised. I was shocked. I’m not gonna say what he said. If I would say that, I would definitely get a tech.”
The Lakers guard added that the remarks flipped a switch in his competitive mindset. “It woke me up. I didn’t say nothing, that’s why I was surprised,” Doncic said. “Not very nice.”
The numbers back up that shift. Doncic scored 12 points in the first quarter, but once the verbal exchange took place, he elevated his game to another level. He poured in 12 points in the second quarter on 5-of-6 shooting, followed by 17 points in the third and 10 more in the fourth as he methodically dismantled Chicago’s defense.
Throughout the stretch, Doncic frequently directed his celebrations and gestures toward Buzelis, turning the moment into a personal scoring showcase.
To Buzelis’ credit, he didn’t shy away from the moment or try to downplay what happened. “I don’t back down from anybody, no matter who you are,” Buzelis said. “I took on the challenge. I didn’t execute.”
The rookie still produced a respectable stat line with 22 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, but he also finished with the worst plus-minus in the game at minus-25 as the Bulls fell for the 17th time in their last 21 contests.
For Chicago, the exchange simply added another chapter to a difficult stretch. For Buzelis, it became a crash course in the dangers of poking one of the NBA’s most competitive stars.
Lakers Surging Behind Doncic
Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised Doncic for turning the moment into a dominant all-around performance rather than letting the emotions derail his focus.
“It’s not just the fact that he responds to a rough play or trash talking, it’s that he can channel it,” Redick said. “He can channel it while still doing all the other things that need to be done.”
Doncic’s stat line reflected that balance. Along with his scoring explosion, he controlled the glass, facilitated the offense and helped lead Los Angeles to its fourth consecutive victory. Austin Reaves, who added 30 points in the win, said the situation wasn’t surprising to anyone familiar with Doncic’s personality.
“It’s fun and it’s funny at the same time,” Reaves said. “Half the time I don’t even know what the hell he’s saying. It’s never in English.”
The performance also highlighted Doncic’s recent dominance. Since returning from a hamstring injury in late February, he scored 40 or more points three times and continues to lead the NBA in scoring at 32.9 points per game.
Los Angeles has surged up the Western Conference standings during that stretch, climbing to the No. 3 seed with 16 games remaining in the regular season. For Buzelis, however, the night will be remembered less for the standings and more for the unforgettable lesson he learned in real time.
As his agent joked after the game, he may have “woken up a sleeping giant.” And if Buzelis ever finds himself in a similar situation again, he already knows the answer. Probably not to talk to him.
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