Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic relished his clash with Kris Dunn in Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Clippers, saying he lives for the physical side of the game.

The Lakers rolled to a fifth successive win and improved to 3-0 in NBA Cup play with a 135-118 success, with Doncic recording his 51st career 40-point game.

Doncic had 43 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds while LeBron James added a breakout 25 points on his third appearance of the season and Austin Reaves had 31.

With the Lakers cruising to victory, one of the most notable moments came when Clippers guard Dunn shoved Doncic in the back as they competed for a rebound in the fourth quarter, with the players exchanging words after a foul wasn't called.

Reflecting on the incident, Doncic said: "I was waiting for the rebound when I got a cheap shot in my back, so I'm not going to just stand for that.

"I ain't afraid of nobody.  I'm not just going to stand there and let it go. The ref was right there. 

"I don't understand how he couldn't call a foul on that one, but that's what the game is about.

"Sometimes it's going to get physical, there's a lot of trash talking. I live for that. So, I love it."

After a review, Dunn was assessed two technical fouls and ejected, while the Lakers' Jaxson Hayes was also given a technical after pushing Dunn in the chest.

Doncic revealed he had told Dunn he would cover the $2,000 fine that accompanied the foul, saying: "I got it. I appreciate it. 

"I told him right away, 'Thanks for having my back.' That says a lot about him. That says a lot about this team. Everybody has got each other's backs."

TOP 10 in Lakers history  pic.twitter.com/gA1HYl3frM

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 26, 2025

Of Doncic's 51 40-point games, seven have come for the Lakers, putting him 10th for the most such performances in franchise history, despite him only joining in February. 

The Lakers will now secure a home game in the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup if they beat the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.