Warriors coach Steve Kerr had effusive praise for Luka Dončić's strength prior to Thursday night's clash between the Warriors and Dallas Mavericks, comparing the 21-year-old to a "middle linebacker."
Damion Lee didn't seem to share the same feelings as his head coach, as he called Dončić a "little a-- boy" after making a layup and drawing a shooting foul on the MVP candidate.
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Dončić is one of the NBA's brightest stars, and opposing players are asked about the challenges of defending him constantly. The former Rookie of the Year ended up with 27 points, six rebounds and six assists in the 147-116 loss to the Warriors.
Forced to play small-ball for 48 minutes with no healthy traditional centers available, the Warriors utilized a frenzied pace and scored at least 35 points in all four quarters of a game for the first time since 1991.
Lee played 25 hyper-efficient minutes off the bench, scoring 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range.
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Golden State Warriors
The Warriors might have had some added motivation for Thursday night's game, as in addition to being shorthanded with just nine players available, Dallas swept the Warriors in three games last season, averaging 135.6 points per game in the three victories.
The Mavericks topped 140 points in two of the three wins, and broke a franchise record for made 3-pointers in a late December 2019 win at Chase Center.
This time, however, it was the Warriors who eclipsed 140 points and exacted some revenge.
You can't blame Lee for being excited about it.