The LA Clippers faced off against Luka Doncic in his first game back from injury on Tuesday night.
Luka and the Dallas Mavericks ended up getting the win, and Doncic balled out. Scoring 26 points, he grabbed nine boards and dropped nine dimes. Defensively he had a steal and two blocks.
He was a perfect four for four from the free throw line, four for 11 from deep, and nine of 21 from the field. He looked good, but Marcus Morris Sr. has a theory as to why. He sees the officials calling the game differently when Morris is out on defense:
Marcus Morris: "The refs are on my ass. I can't even talk to Luka, I can't even breathe on him."
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 24, 2021
Then adds on the rivalry:
"We beat them all the time so until they get a win, it's really on our side. But kudos to their team. I like their team. They're playing well." pic.twitter.com/jZXvvIK0OQ
Marcus Morris Sr. feels that the refs unfairly target him when he guards Luka Doncic.
Regardless of if this is true or not, it’s fun to see Marcus Morris Sr. and the LA Clippers showing that they take these games personally. This Mavericks-Clippers matchup has turned into a rivalry as of late, and it’s giving the Clippers extra motivation in the conference.
The Clippers should see every Western Conference matchup as one that means more. It’s a brutal conference, and a mental edge is needed.
It also is true that the Clippers haven’t necessarily been officiated all that fairly in general this year. Despite averaging the most field goals he ever has (22.2), Paul George is averaging just 4.6 free throw attempts. The last time PG13 averaged 21 or more field goal attempts per game, he took seven foul shots per contest.
It goes to show the validity in the claims many have put out there as to whether the officials are calling the game differently when George is involved. Perhaps it’s the same deal when Morris is guarding Luka.