Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Luka Doncic jokes about what he told Rudy Gobert after Game 2 dagger

By Sai Mohan | Last updated 5/25/24

Even a person with few lip-reading skills could discern what Luka Doncic told Rudy Gobert after hitting a dagger three in the closing seconds of Dallas' Game 2 win over Minnesota.

After Dallas' 109-108 win, Doncic was asked in the press conference if he really uttered those words to Gobert. The superstar guard jokingly denied it.

"Who said that?" Doncic asked the reporter. "I ain't say that. I was speaking Slovenian."

Rudy Gobert to ESPN on Luka Doncic’s trash talk after the game-winner: “I didn’t see or hear it, but he says that every game. So nothing new.” https://t.co/qVchLJ9eIR
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 25, 2024

Minnesota's decision to leave Gobert on an island guarding Doncic received a ton of criticism from the "Inside the NBA" on TNT crew, especially from Charles Barkley, Draymond Green and Shaquille O'Neal, who felt the home team should have benched Gobert in the waning moments of the game.

The coaching call was particularly perplexing since Gobert remained in drop coverage for most of the night and didn't step out onto the perimeter to guard the likes of Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Even Doncic was surprised by the move and seemed to mock Gobert in his post-game interview.

Luka Doncic on his game-winning shot over Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert: “He’s long. He can’t move. I can’t move fast, but I can move faster than him.” pic.twitter.com/fOnXmjJoUu
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 25, 2024

Doncic finished with 32 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds as the Mavs seized a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Timberwolves. The series will now shift to Dallas for Game 3 on Sunday.

The Timberwolves are trying to become only the seventh team to bounce back from an 0-2 deficit in a Conference Finals series.