Hawks’ $100,000,000 Star Sends Subtle Jab at Luka Doncic’s Sluggish Lakers After Blowout Win

Atlanta Hawks star Dyson Daniels sent a subtle jab at Luka Doncic and the LA Lakers after his team's 122-102 victory on Saturday. The $100 million guard spoke candidly about his own performance and the Hawks’ effort after their blowout win.

During the post-game conference, Daniels was questioned about being the point of attack on Doncic, while also serving as the primary playmaker. The guard credited his team's "game plan" while discussing his successful night guarding the Slovenian.

"It's about our team game plan. My job is to make it tough for him (Luka), do the right things, force him off-screens, and my teammates are there for rotations and trapping him," Daniels said. "I think we were good with our rotations today."

Continuing to speak on his team's performance, Daniels didn't hold back, taking a subtle jab at the sluggish Lakers.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

"The tired part I think it's more mental. L.A. is not a very fast team. They didn't play up and down, so I wasn't in a defensive transition as much but I think the tired part is more mental," Daniels continued.

His comments were aimed at the Lakers entering the matchup after a two-day rest, while the Hawks played back-to-back games after hosting the Raptors on Friday night. Despite Los Angeles riding a five-game win streak and being afforded recovery time, they were beaten by a resilient Hawks team.

Daniels, who signed a four-year, $100,000,000 contract with the Hawks, shut down Luka Doncic effectively during the game as the former All-Star recorded a season low 22 points. Despite taking on a more defensive role, the Atlanta guard still showcased his playmaking, dishing out 13 assists, the most by a Hawks player in the game.

Luka Doncic taunted with “Maverick reject” chants after missing two free throws in a blowout loss to the Hawks

Luka Doncic recorded a rare off-night during his team's 122-102 blowout loss against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. The Slovenian recorded a season low of 22 points while shooting 41.2% from the field.

The guard shot 66.7% from the free-throw line, converting 4 of 6 attempts. His two misses came in the first quarter, prompting fans at State Farm Arena to taunt him.

Doncic was serenaded by "Mavericks reject" and "Nico" chants following his missed free throws as Hawks fans made the most of his off-night.

Despite his struggles in Atlanta, the guard has been one of the best players this season, averaging 37.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game.

Edited by Arian Kashyap