Yaxel Lendeborg, there are a few things you have to learn.
asserted
you → be → ?
The consequences are worse than a bruise. Or a swatted shot.
asserted
consequences → swat → bruise
Dončić punishes his perpetrators over and over again, leaving them mortified and stammering after games.
asserted
Dončić → punish → games
Or at least, that’s how this usually goes.
asserted
this → ’ → ?
Lendeborg committed the last sin in the Lakers’ 127-105 win over the Warriors in their season opener on Wednesday.
asserted
Lendeborg → commit → Wednesday
The Warriors’ rookie ran his mouth.
asserted
rookie → run → mouth
The Slovenian superstar ran him over.
asserted
superstar → run → him
We’ve seen this play out so many times before.
asserted
We → see → ?
But what happened next was rare.
asserted
happened → happen → ?
The rookie didn’t show remorse.
asserted
rookie → show → remorse
Instead he doubled down.
asserted
he → double → ?
Here’s how it all happened.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
Things heated up after the rookie fouled Dončić on a pump fake with the Lakers up, 53-48, and less than 3 minutes left in the second quarter.
asserted
minutes → heat → quarter
Dončić made two free throws.
asserted
Dončić → make → throws
Lendeborg went to the bench.
asserted
Lendeborg → go → bench
Doncic then made a 15-foot jumper and pointed at Lendeborg.
asserted
Doncic → make → Lendeborg
Warriors coach Steve Kerr put him back in the game.
asserted
Kerr → put → game
They continued trash-talking each other.
asserted
They → continue → other
Lendeborg was assessed a technical foul with 22.2 seconds left.
asserted
Lendeborg → assess → seconds
Dončić then made a 49-foot shot with 1.4 seconds remaining and approached Lendeborg, chirping at him.
asserted
Dončić → make → him
Dončić did what he does.
asserted
he → do → what
He feeds off of perceived disrespect.
asserted
He → feed → disrespect
It fueled a 13-4 run for the Lakers in which Doncic scored 10 points.
asserted
Doncic → fuel → points
He finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals in 30 minutes and the highest plus-minus (+31) of anyone on the court in the Lakers’ 22-point rout.
asserted
He → finish → rout
He had more than twice as many points as Lendeborg (12).
asserted
He → have → Lendeborg
Lendeborg poked the bear, like many have before.
asserted
many → poke → bear
(Just ask Matas Buzelis, who unleashed a 51-point performance from Doncic last March after chirping at him.
asserted
who → ask → him
“Probably not to talk to him,” Buzelis said after the Bulls’ 142-130 loss to the Lakers.)
But that’s where the script changes.
asserted
script → talk → Lakers
Lendeborg didn’t drop the bear-poking stick, Instead he picked it up and started beating the mammal over the head with it.
“I had a lot of respect for him…seeing him kill people all the time,” Lendeborg said.
asserted
Lendeborg → drop → people
“But then being in there firsthand and just watching all the whining and complaining, I lost all respect, man.
asserted
I → watch → respect
“Me getting frustrated it’s not about the foul being called.
asserted
foul → get → ?
It’s about him complaining the entire game.
asserted
him → ’ → ?
And then you get the foul call, congratulations bro.
asserted
you → get → call
And then you talk to me like you did something great, bro?
asserted
you → talk → something
That’s just weak.
asserted
That → ’ → ?
It kind of threw me off for a little while because, like I said, I had so much respect for him.
asserted
I → throw → him
The Lakers play the Warriors again in a little over a week on October 30.
asserted
Lakers → play → October
This could get ugly for Lendeborg.
uncertain
This → get → Lendeborg
Don’t be surprised if Doncic, who led the league in scoring last season with 33.5 points per game, erupts for twice that number.
asserted
who → lead → number
Lendeborg just fed Dončić his version of basketball mana.
asserted
Lendeborg → feed → mana
…and 32 more, not listed.
The Aporia
