The Los Angeles Lakers entered their matchup against the Chicago Bulls heavily shorthanded, missing the likes of Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber, and Marcus Smart. So, they needed their star point guard, Luka Doncic, to step up big time for the win. And that’s exactly what the Slovenian did by dropping 51 points to lead his team to a 142-130 win. But, as he wrapped up his terrific performance, he was left in shock by a Bulls player.

The Chicago player in question was none other than sophomore forward Matas Buzelis. The incident that surprised Doncic occurred during the second quarter of the game when the 21-year-old started chirping with the Lakers superstar. While what Buzelis said to him motivated him to erupt during the game, it also startled him quite a lot, as he admitted later.

“Somebody started talking to me, so that woke me up. Matas Buzelis. I was surprised. I was shocked,” Doncic told the reporters. “I’m not gonna say what he said. But if I would say that, I would definitely get a tech. But really, these games, sometimes you’re going easy, and we kind of went easy in the first quarter, then he woke me up. I was surprised. I didn’t say nothing, that’s why I was surprised. Not very nice.”

The statistics provide an insight into how the game unfolded after that incident occurred. Luka had already started fast with 12 points in the first quarter, but after the verbal comments from Buzelis, he took it to another gear and scored an additional 12 points in the second quarter on 5 of 6 shooting, 17 points in the third quarter, and 10 points in the fourth quarter while systematically ripping apart Chicago’s defense.

As Dončić continued to score, he made a point to celebrate in Buzelis‘ direction several times during this stretch and made this exchange something of a personal statement to Buzelis on the court.

And the five-time All-NBA guard not only knocked a long ranger over Buzelis, but he went on to showcase his brilliance on both ends of the court. Apart from his 51 points, Luka Doncic finished the night with 10 rebounds and 9 assists and with a net rating of +15, leading the Lakers to their fourth victory in a row and their seventh in their last eight games. Also, it marked the first 50-point game of Doncic’s career as a member of the Lakers and the eighth of his NBA career.

So, it’s safe to say that even though it was Buzelis who began this battle, the Los Angeles Lakers guard had the last laugh, something even the Bulls star agreed to following the loss.

Matas Buzelis confesses that Doncic began the verbal battle

Trash-talking is an art form mastered by some of the greatest players to ever grace the NBA field. While it’s a lethal asset, you’ve got to use it carefully, something Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis learned the hard way on Thursday.

“I don’t even know what to say, honestly,” he told The Athletic’s Law Murray. “He started killing, obviously, when I started talking to him… As you said, I don’t back down from anybody, no matter who you are. And I took on the challenge and didn’t execute.”

So, when Buzelis, who was tasked with guarding Luka Doncic, was asked what he took away from this experience, he had a pretty straightforward and honest answer for it: “Probably not talk to him,” he said.

That’s a wise decision from the 21-year-old, to say the least. Because when you poke a bear, you should be ready for it to bite back. That said, contrary to Doncic’s admission, Buzelis stated that it was the Slovenian who started it all.

“I’d rather not say what I said,” Buzelis said. “But he said something to me first. So that’s why I had to respond. And I mean, I’m not gonna say what he said either. But I just felt like I responded to what he said.”

Nonetheless, regardless of who started it, it was Chicago and Matas Buzelis who had to pay the price. So, it doesn’t really matter in the end, does it?