Luka Doncic reveals Michael Jordan-esque message for Bennedict Mathurin after Pacers guard's frontrunning trash talk 

Luka Doncic didn't seem to be a fan of Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin's frontrunning trash talk during the Dallas Mavericks' 134-127 home loss. Mathurin got into a verbal contest with Doncic with a minute to go in the game, and Indiana was firmly in a position to close the game.

The Mavericks star had a Michael Jordan-esque message for Mathurin after the game when reporters asked what their chatter was about.

"He started talking s**t, one minute to go. You know what that’s about. I just said, you know, if you can talk sh*t, start it early. You know, how I do."

Doncic shared Michael Jordan's sentiments during the 1998 NBA Playoffs when his ex-teammate BJ Armstrong trash-talked him all series. In Netflix's 2020 series "The Last Dance," based on MJ and the Bulls' dynasty, footage of Jordan's message for Armstrong went viral, where he said that any trash talk should ideally begin when the score is 0-0.

"Let's see if all that trash talking starts when it's 0-0 instead of a 5-6 point lead. That’s where it starts. That’s the sign of a good man, if he can talk sh*t when it’s even score. Or talk sh*t when you're behind. When you're ahead, it's easy to talk."

Mathurin evidently seems to have been on the wrong side of this one in Luka Doncic and Michael Jordan's eyes.

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Luka Doncic gives Pacers player his flowers

Luka Doncic conceded the Mavericks couldn't stop one player on the Pacers. He named Myles Turner, who was returning home to play in front of a capacity Dallas crowd. The Pacers' big man caused all sorts of trouble for the Mavericks defense. He bagged 30 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 10 of 17, including 5 of 8 from 3.

Doncic said the Mavericks should have known about Turner's motivation to play in front of his hometown franchise as an away player.

“I think Turner killed us there … It looked like we couldn’t stop him. We should have done a better job," Luka Doncic said. "We know he wants to shoot. He’s home. I think he’s from here. So you know he wants to put up a show.”

The Mavericks put up their worst defensive performance of the season. They had a 126.4 defensive rating in this contest. The Pacers' five-out offense made it difficult to cope with the pace and shooting. Dallas was also without sophomore Dereck Lively II, a late scratch with a shoulder injury. His presence may have helped them against Turner, especially in the paint.