Luka Dončić had a parting reward for Jalen Brunson before the pair of former Mavericks teammates walked off the Garden court docket Sunday evening.
As Knicks and Lakers gamers embraced following the Knicks’ 112-100 victory, Dončić flashed his center finger after the star level guard completed another postgame alternate and walked over.
Dončić appeared to be joking with the gesture, as Brunson appeared to crack a smile as he got nearer.
Brunson and Dončić’s paths intersected back in 2018, when the former was chosen at No. 33 total in the second spherical and the latter was taken No. 3 total by the Hawks — before getting shipped to Dallas in a commerce that evening.
They then overlapped for 4 seasons before the Mavericks allowed Brunson to stroll in free company and signal with the Knicks, where he has since become their captain and one of the league’s greatest gamers.
Luke Doncic flipped off Jalen Brunson after the Knicks defeated the Lakers on Feb. 1. Screengrab via X/@MrBuckBuckNBA
That left Dončić as the cornerstone in Dallas for the next two-plus seasons, until the Mavericks stunningly despatched him to the Lakers last season — a deal that has since backfired for them and led to common supervisor Nico Harrison being fired.
“Definitely weird,” Brunson advised reporters postgame when requested about seeing Dončić in a Lakers jersey. “I think we all expected him to be in Dallas for the longest time. But yeah now he’s a Laker and he’s playing great and still doing the things he does.”
Luke Doncic defends Jalen Brunson during the Knicks’ sport against the Lakers on Feb. 1. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Brunson and Dončić both performed integral roles in the Mavericks’ run to the Western Conference finals in 2022, where they were eradicated by the Warriors in 5 video games before Brunson’s pivotal choice in free company adopted.
When they overlapped at the Garden on Sunday, Dončić, who’s averaging 33.7 factors per sport and could win the MVP award if he maintains that manufacturing tempo, poured in 30 factors for Los Angeles, while Brunson struggled by going 4-for-15 from the subject — though he managed to dish out 13 assists, permitting the Knicks’ position gamers to flourish.
The victory prolonged the Knicks’ profitable streak to six video games, and the Lakers have dropped two of their last three getting into Tuesday’s match against the tanking Nets.
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