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This week in Luka: Doncic’s play, trash talk heating up

See highlights from Mavs beat writer Callie Caplan’s weekly newsletter.

“This Week in Luka” is a weekly newsletter curated by SportsDay Mavericks beat writer Callie Caplan — all about your favorite Dallas Mavericks superstar. To have her newsletter sent directly to your inbox (and read it a day early … it gets sent out every Friday), sign up here.

Ignore what your thermometers said late this week when the weather in Dallas took a sharp turn to freezing.

There’s one thing downtown that’s starting to really heat up.

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That would be Trash Talk Luka, of course.

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He put on a season-best performance Wednesday against the Raptors in more ways than one.

Luka’s 41 points were great — and eight more than his previous best this year (33). He looked energized, willing to sprint out in transition, and healthier and fitter than he has in a while.

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Luka’s trash talk was even more superb.

I had a front-row view of an exchange between Luka and Nick Nurse in the second half.

It went something like this:Nick Nurse hollered at officials to call fouls fair for both sides.

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Luka turned to him and told him to buzz off.

Please note: Luka used language a bit more colorful than “buzz.”

He saved some fire for later in the fourth quarter, too, when he went for a rebound by boxing out Toronto’s Chris Boucher, who appeared to tumble to the court harder than the contact caused.

Complaints about the flop?

Not for Luka.

He grabbed the ball, tucked it under his left arm and stared down Boucher on the ground for a moment before moving on with the possession.

No words necessary.

That all came after last Saturday’s double-tech comedy hour, when Luka responded to Orlando’s Moe Wagner celebrating in his face by mocking Wagner’s flop — to Mavs teammate and fellow German Maxi Kleber, no less — and then shouting “who the [expletive] are you?” and pretending to wipe away tears.

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Instant meme.

Perfect GIF.

Trash Talk Luka at his finest.

Who knows what’s spurred Luka’s theatrics in recent weeks.

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Maybe he’s grown a little peeved from playing through injuries or miffed to see his name below Steph and Ja in All-Star fan voting or extra juiced up with the Mavs on a roll.

Whatever the inspiration, Luka’s fiery interactions should keep all his followers engaged and entertained as the dog days of the NBA’s pre-All-Star break schedule and the freezing winter weather set in.

Photo of the week

Court-side fans congratulate Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) after he made an...
Court-side fans congratulate Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) after he made an inbounds steal, quickly dribbled up court and hit a last second three-pointer against the Phoenix Suns to end the first half at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, January 20, 2022.(Tom Fox)
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Doncic deets

Luka’s stats in 31 games: 25.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.2 steals; 43.4% FG, 29.1% 3FG

Best of the week: At Luka’s first All-Star Game in 2020, Chris Paul considered the then 20-year-old must-watch TV via League Pass on night’s Paul wasn’t playing. Luka paid the respect back Thursday against Paul and the Suns after he watched Paul use a rip-through move to draw a foul and decided “I’ve got to do it, too.”

Watch for this next: The next few days are “prove it” territory for Luka among the West’s best guards. Luka and the Mavs get Ja and the Grizzlies on Sunday and Steph and the Warriors on Tuesday. All that assuming the neck strain Luka suffered in the second half Thursday eases at least enough for him to turn his head.

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