Lakers' Luka Doncic jokingly calls out Dirk Nowitzki before 53-point night vs. Portland

Luka Doncic found time for a little friendly trash talk before he turned Friday night into a showcase. Before the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Portland Trail Blazers, Doncic took a jab at Dirk Nowitzki, his former Dallas teammate and longtime mentor, for going quiet since moving to Los Angeles. The New York Post reported it first.

Nowitzki works on the studio show for NBA on Prime, which carried the game. According to HoopsHype, Nowitzki named his old teammate the pregame show's "Hot Playa." When Doncic heard about it, he thanked him and then put him on the spot. "He's in LA and he don't even call no more, so I expect that dinner soon," Doncic said, per the Post. At halftime, Nowitzki was asked about the comment. He laughed it off and joked that he has gotten too famous to pick up the phone.

The two go back to Doncic's years in Dallas, where Nowitzki backed the young guard from the start. The Mavericks traded Doncic to the Lakers in February 2025, a deal that shocked the league. Doncic is now 27 and the clear leader in Los Angeles, and the relationship with Nowitzki has outlasted the move.

Whatever dinner plans come of it, Doncic's night on the court mattered more. He scored 53 points as the Lakers came back to beat Portland 124-118 in an NBA Cup game, Yahoo Sports reported. The win evened the season series with a Blazers team that had beaten Los Angeles 136-129 at home earlier this season. It also came against a Portland side that started the night at the top of the West.

What it means for Detroit

The Lakers are 8-2 and head to Detroit on Sunday with four straight wins. They have topped 115 points in every game of the streak: 131-125 over Toronto, 138-117 over Miami, 116-103 at Sacramento and now Friday's win over Portland. Their two losses both came in the space of four games. One was the home loss to Portland. The other was a 112-95 defeat at Golden State, their only game this season under 100 points.

The Pistons game opens a road stretch, and the Lakers have played well away from home so far. They are 3-1 on the road, with wins at Utah, the Clippers and Sacramento. The Warriors game is the only blemish.

Rest is the bigger question. Doncic carried a heavy load on Friday, and Sunday's game comes after just one day off and a cross-country flight. If the Lakers keep their offense near its current level, they have a good chance of making it five straight. Tipoff will air on NBA TV and Spectrum SportsNet.

As for Nowitzki, Doncic has said he is waiting on that call. With both men now living in Los Angeles, the dinner shouldn't be hard to arrange.