Luka Doncic on how he stopped ranting at referees: 'I just start singing a song in my head'

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has declared he is done ranting at referees and has discovered a trick to help prevent him from venting his frustration when the whistle doesn’t go his way. “It’s a funny thing — I just start singing a song in my head,” Doncic said after Friday night’s 111-101 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, when he had a frustrating performance (17 points, 5-of-20 shooting, six turnovers) but no confrontations with the officials. “One of my favorite songs I pick and just start singing and let pass.
Source: Tim MacMahon @ ESPN

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Noah Levick @NoahLevick
Updated Sixers-Mavs observations, including:
-“Careless” turnovers one negative from another great Embiid night, but they’ve been rare this year
-Embiid on goal of being “extremely fresh” for playoffs
-Defense on Doncic, Harden’s impact, more
nbcsports.com/philadelphia/s… – 9:33 AM Eurohoops @Eurohoopsnet
The New York Knicks part ways with Croatian forward Luka Samanic #NBA
eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/13… – 4:42 AM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Luka Doncic shot 5/20 for 17 points tonight. How did philadelphia slow him down? The team explains how they did so in the win. #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/lists/sixers-d… via @SixersWire #NBA – 11:32 PM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Luka Brajkovic is going to make so much money in the German League. Just an absolute monster inside. – 11:20 PM John Hollinger @johnhollinger
Dont think he’s an NBA guy but Luka Brajkovic is a 10-year starter in the Adriatic League. – 11:06 PM Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
Full credit to Philly. Whatever issues Embiid and Harden might have been having seemed to go away from the 2nd qtr on, and their zone which seemed to morph from a 2-3 into a 1-3-1 was something Mavs could never solve. It certainly got Luka out of his comfort zone. – 9:43 PM Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers
#Sixers coach Doc Rivers on what went into the decision to go to a zone defense vs. the #Mavs. Luka Doncic shot 5-for-20 tonight. pic.twitter.com/aN81xraWYB – 9:40 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Impressive win for the 76ers, who beat the streaking Mavs behind 32 points and eight rebounds from Joel Embiid, 24 points, seven rebounds and 13 assists for James Harden, and holding Luka Doncic to just 5-for-20 shooting from the field. Up next for Philly is Toronto here Sunday. – 9:19 PM Tim MacMahon @espn_macmahon
There won’t be another clutch Mavs miracle tonight in Philly. Jason Kidd emptied the bench with 2 1/2 minutes left. Tough shooting night for Luka Doncic (17 points, 5-20 FG). – 9:18 PM Michael Dugat @mdug
These are definitely rare, but Luka just bad for the vast majority of the night – 9:15 PM Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin
Luka Doncic is shooting 4/18 tonight. Philadelphia has played him tough all night and they’ve made life miserable for him. #Sixers – 9:13 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Luka was just shooting the ball right at the rim — and then boinked it off his head when one didn’t fall — during that stop in play. Been a rough shooting night for him (4-of-16). – 9:10 PM Michael Dugat @mdug
Mavs were lucky to stay in it as long as they did with Luka’s game tonight. – 9:00 PM Michael Dugat @mdug
Luka playing a bit like ass so far – 8:51 PM Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Luka Doncic is 3-14 for 13 points. Still think he goes off in 4Q. – 8:49 PM Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
Halftime deficit? In BOS & BKN, it was no problem for Mavs. We’ll see in Philly as they trail 58-53.Embiid & Harden combining for 23 of Philly’s 32 in 2nd qtr as they overcome a pair of 7pt deficits. Embiid 21, Harden 15. Brunson 15, Doncic 13. 2nd half soon @theeagledallas – 8:18 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
Halftime: Sixers 58, Mavs 53. James Harden, after a rough first quarter, made all three shots he took in the second, and also made a couple of nice defensive plays. Joel Embiid was dominant, and has 21 and 5 at the break. Luka Doncic has 13 but went 3-11. Jalen Brunson has 15. – 8:12 PM Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Luka made a business decision on that Embiid dunk. Don’t blame him one bit. – 7:59 PM Tim Bontemps @TimBontemps
After 1 here in Philly: Mavs 27, 76ers 26. Luka Doncic with nine points for Dallas, and Joel Embiid leads Philly with 7. James Harden, who is shooting 24-for-74 overall and 9-for-33 from 3 over his last five games, has started out 0-for-3 tonight. – 7:39 PM Chuck Cooperstein @coopmavs
Mavs starters: Dinwiddie, DFS, Powell, Brunson, Doncic
Philly starters: Thybulle, Harris, Embiid, Harden, Maxey
6:10 tip @theeagledallas – 6:33 PM Gina Mizell @ginamizell
Matisse Thybulle on defending Luka Doncic: “You really don’t slow him down, because he moves at a snail’s pace. It’s just being physical with him, because he’s such a big guard. The small movements he does is all he really needs to create advantages.” – 12:27 PM Noah Levick @NoahLevick
Matisse Thybulle joked it’s impossible to slow down Luka Doncic because he plays at a “snail’s pace.”
Thybulle was of course complimentary of Doncic, who he faced in the Olympic bronze medal game this past summer. – 11:27 AM

More on this storyline

“I think these last couple of games I’ve been great with officials. If I think I’m fouled, I just go to him and talk to him normal. But that’s it. It’s got to be this way.” Doncic, who added that he decides between a Slovenian and a Serbian song, has been called for an NBA-leading 15 technical fouls this season, one of which was rescinded after review by the league office. That means he is two technical fouls shy of an automatic one-game suspension, which is levied when a player reaches 16 technicals during the regular season and every two technicals thereafter. -via ESPN / March 19, 2022 Having apparently seen enough of his team retching all over itself, Popovich picked an argument with referee Bennie Adams and got himself mercifully ejected. He left the court with a wink. Unfortunately for Hammon and everyone else on the Spurs’ roster, they had to stick around to watch the rest of the kiester-kicking the Pelicans administered. C.J. McCollum went for 20 points and Naji Marshall added 18 off the bench as New Orleans handed the Spurs their most lopsided defeat of the season. -via San Antonio Express-News / March 19, 2022 BasketNews.com: Gregg Popovich gets ejected in the 2nd quarter and winks at his team before exiting the floor 😉😂 🎥 @NBATV -via Twitter / March 19, 2022