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Kris Dunn #8 of the LA Clippers yells at Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers as referee James Williams #60 and Ivica Zubac #40 intervene in front of Luka Doncic #77 during a 135-118 Lakers win at Crypto.com Arena on November 25, 2025
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic refuses to be a pushover.
After Tuesday’s brawl between the Lakers and Clippers, which Kris Dunn instigated, Doncic sent a clear warning to the rest of the NBA. In his postgame news conference, Doncic explained the events leading to Dunn’s ejection and Jaxon Hayes, who defended him from the Clippers guard, receiving a technical foul.
“I was going for a rebound, and I got a cheap shot in my back,” Doncic said of how Dunn instigated the brawl, via Spectrum SportsNet.
“…I’m not gonna just stand, you know,” he continued. “I ain’t afraid of nobody. I won’t just stand there and let it go… That’s what the game is about. Sometimes it’s gonna get physical. There’s a lot of trash talk. I live for that, so I love it.”
Luka Doncic Thanks Jaxson Hayes
The incident involving Doncic, Hayes and Dunn occurred with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter when the Lakers had a comfortable 123-113 lead. After Ivica Zubac made a basket to cut the deficit to 10, Dunn ran into Doncic, who fell to the floor from the physical contact. An angry Doncic would charge towards Dunn, who would respond by pushing the ball into the Slovenian’s chest, prompting Hayes to get involved.
Hayes, who shares a close bond with Doncic on and off the court, shoved Dunn, who responded by hitting the Lakers center in the face. The referees consulted the replays before ejecting Dunn and slapping Hayes with a technical foul.
Doncic thanked Hayes for having his back.
“I appreciate him. I told him right away, ‘thank you for having my back,’” Doncic said of his conversation with Hayes after Tuesday’s incident.
“That says a lot about him, and a lot about this team. Everybody has each other’s back.”
Luka Doncic to Cover for Hayes
The Slovenian also confirmed in his postgame interview with NBC Sports that he will foot the bill for Hayes, who will incur a $2000 fine for a technical foul.
“I’ll pay his fine for sure,” Doncic announced after the game.
Doncic finished with 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, including 32 first-half points, as the Lakers completed a 135-118 rout of the Clippers. The performance marked Doncic’s 51st career 40-point game, while he barely fell short of his 10th career 40-point triple-double. LeBron James and Austin Reaves were excellent in their roles as the second and third options, combining for 56 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists.
The Lakers (13-4) won their fifth straight game and improved to 3-0 in the NBA Cup. According to the NBA, the Lakers have clinched Group B in the in-season tournament, joining the Toronto Raptors as the second team to qualify for the Knockout rounds.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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