Home fans always play some kind of role in how a game progresses. A rowdy crowd can lift up their team while intimidating the opponent. But one bit of trash talk can also be highly motivating to some of the special players that make the NBA their home.
The Minnesota Timberwolves got that lesson in the first quarter of Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. It sure looked like someone in the crowd was giving Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic all the added motivation he could muster.
Doncic went off for 20 points in the opening quarter. He outscored the Timberwolves while going 4-of-6 from 3-point range and 8-11 from the field.
As dominant of a 1st quarter as you could possibly imagine from Luka Doncic…
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) May 31, 2024
20 Points
4/5 from 3
8/10 from the field
He’s found someone in the crowd to go at again & it’s working… Maybe don’t talk to him lol pic.twitter.com/44GucjJHYk
You simply won't see a more dominant quarter than that. And the Mavericks really may have a Timberwolves fan to thank for all that.
According to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post, "A Target Center fan was waving a handkerchief at Luka Doncic early in the first quarter, apparently in reference to him crying for fouls. Doncic saw him and smiled, and now he keeps looking to the fan's side of court during this early 20-point flurry."
UPDATE: NSFW audio from the third quarter all but confirmed Golliver's account was very correct.
"Who's crying mother*****?" Doncic told the fan quite audibly on the TNT broadcast.
LUKA HAS WORDS:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 31, 2024
"Yeah, who's crying motherfu*ker? 🗣️
pic.twitter.com/QHaa1HxBng
NBA Twitter ripped into that fan for setting off the Mavericks star.
Best memes and tweets after Timberwolves fan fires up Luka Doncic
get whoever that fan luka keeps looking at out of there before the roof catches fire.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 31, 2024
Whoever is talking trash on the sideline to Luka in Minnesota… PLEASE continue to do so
— RC Maxfield (@RCMB323) May 31, 2024
Y’all better stop talking to Luka from the sideline.
— Lance Zierlein (@LanceZierlein) May 31, 2024
You had to imagine that Luka was going to come back this game locked in but WHOEVER is yapping at him on the sideline is only fueling the fire pic.twitter.com/aKhFCHTk4V
— Gin (@Ginny_me22) May 31, 2024
Luka and that Wolves fan ever since https://t.co/YYApsabhjI pic.twitter.com/IWW8VGkYdS
— Brian Blake (@BrianOBlake) May 31, 2024
That fan that Luka is yelling at right now. pic.twitter.com/UNCBtwVoTh
— Jerry Elliott (@ThatGuyJerry) May 31, 2024
Doncic and the Mavericks have broken hearts in Minnesota three times in this series already, turning losses into victories in the waning minutes. Dallas won the first three games, including two at Target Center, behind 30-point showing from Doncic in particular.
He was more than halfway to that mark after just one quarter. Locked in Luka is a sight to behold.
Game 5 is do-or-die for the Timberwolves, who entered down 3-1 in the series. Doncic looks determined to make sure their season dies regardless of how hard they fight.