Late in the third quarter, with the Pacers increasing defensive pressure, Doncic faced a trap near the three-point line as the shot clock ticked down to under two seconds.
Instead, he took a literal flick of the wrist while moving sideways. It looked more like he was throwing a piece of paper into a trash can from across the room than an actual basketball shot.
The ball banked off the top corner of the white square on the backboard a shot with that much arc and speed should have clanked off the rim, but it hit the glass and dropped straight through the net.
Doncic didn’t even look surprised. As the ball went through, he just held his follow-through for a second, glanced at the Lakers bench where LeBron James sidelined with an elbow injury was falling over in disbelief.
“Luka, you closed the third with that bank three. I’m not even going to ask you if it was intentional. I know it was,” the reporter said.
The bank shot capped a dominant night for the Slovenian superstar. His 44-point explosion in three quarters powered the Lakers to a 128-117 win, demonstrating exactly why the franchise is building its future around him.
While the highlight reels focus on Doncic’s incredible shot and hilarious interview, there are underlying concerns. The six-time All-Star received his 15th technical foul against the Nuggets.
One more technical would result in an automatic one game suspension. For a Lakers team fighting for playoff positioning, losing Doncic for even one game could be the difference between a guaranteed
Luka Doncic is box office. Whether he’s hitting impossible bank shots, shrugging at his own greatness, or flirting with suspension, he’s must-watch television.