We’ve seen Luka Doncic hit a lot of wild shots. The one at All-Star practice on Saturday might be the best.
Luka Doncic with a crazy trick shot at NBA All-Star practice. He called “bounce” to Dereck Lively II before the shot.
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 17, 2024
Lively talks often about the wild shots Doncic tries. Even after this much time as teammate, Doncic surprises him.
pic.twitter.com/eBrhqwqTvL
Doncic told teammate Dereck Lively II "bounce" before throwing a shot impossibly high in the air, only to have it bounce into the hoop. The shot delighted the crowd of observers, including the other All-Stars.
In his four previous All-Star appearances, scoring hasn't been a priority for the Mavericks star. Doncic averaged only seven points per game, though he did average five assists. Even when he played 32 minutes in the 2021 game, Doncic took only seven shots and not a single one was caromed off the floor first.
Besides wowing the crowd with trick shots, Doncic spent a good part of his Saturday being tortured by fellow All-Star Nikola Jokic. First, after an aborted start full of gamesmanship, the Denver Nuggets center defeated Doncic in a game of knockout.
Nikola Jokic knocks out Luka Doncic in a game of Knockout at All-Star Practice pic.twitter.com/8D5jh8fmdZ
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) February 17, 2024
If that wasn't enough, Jokic harassed the superstar at his media session, dumping cold water down Doncic's back.
Nikola Jokic dumps cold water on Luka Doncic’s neck during All-Star media day pic.twitter.com/HoCRrr16JK
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 17, 2024
Jokic also prefers passing to scoring at the All-Star Game, averaging 6.2 points in his five appearances, though he also has an eight-assist game.
There's no reason to think that will change this year, especially since the two might be exhausted after a Saturday full of scuffling.
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