Luka Doncic said he will pick up any league fine assessed to teammate Jaxson Hayes after the forward stepped in during a fourth-quarter confrontation with Kris Dunn on Nov. 25, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena.
The incident occurred late in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 135-118 victory over the L.A. Clippers, a result that clinched West Group B and a spot in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals for Los Angeles. With the Lakers comfortably ahead, Dunn shoved Doncic while the Dallas guard waited for a rebound. Doncic confronted Dunn, who responded by pushing the ball into Doncic’s chest. Hayes immediately shoved Dunn in return.
Officials ejected Dunn and issued Hayes a single technical foul. After the game, Doncic praised Hayes’ response and volunteered to cover any resulting penalty. “Of course, I appreciate it,” Doncic said. “I told him right away, thanks for having my back. That says a lot about him. That says a lot about this team.”
Doncic added that he felt a “cheap shot” in the back and refused to ignore it. “I ain’t afraid of nobody,” he said. “The ref was right there; I don’t understand how we couldn’t get a foul on that.”
The altercation did little to slow Doncic, who finished with 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds—32 of those points coming in the first half. Hayes’ lone technical allowed the Lakers to keep their full rotation intact as they held off the Clippers.
Hayes and Doncic have forged a close relationship over the past year, a bond that recently led Hayes to express interest in joining Doncic on the Slovenian national team if no opportunity arises with USA Basketball.
Source: LakersNation
