Doncic Says 'Everybody Acts Tough' After Game 5

A day after Devin Booker’s “The Luka special” remark in Game 5 (May 10, 2022), the Mavericks exited the floor at Footprint Center having fallen behind 3-2 in the series. As Luka Doncic walked off, cameras from ABC15 Sports in Phoenix recorded him saying, “Everybody acts tough when they’re up,” a pointed observation about his opponents’ demeanor with the lead [2][5]. The clip circulated quickly on social platforms and was later cataloged in ESPN’s timeline of the rivalry, which explicitly notes that “ABC 15 in Arizona caught Doncic saying: ‘Everybody acting tough when they're up’” [2]. Sports Illustrated’s aggregation similarly highlighted the video and paired it with Booker’s quip from the prior night, embedding social clips of both moments to underscore the tit-for-tat dynamic that had emerged in the series [5]. Context matters: the Suns had just won Game 5 by 30 (110-80), aided by a flagrant-1 call on Dorian Finney-Smith during the same sequence in which Booker delivered his viral line [1][4]. Doncic’s rejoinder, delivered as he left the court, framed the Suns’ swagger as situational—“when they’re up”—and subtly promised a response. This wasn’t a formal press conference soundbite; it was a caught-on-camera aside that felt spontaneous and combative, and that authenticity helped it gain traction. Within days, the rivalry would move from words to an emphatic scoreboard statement in Game 7 [2].

Doncic’s “Everybody acts tough when they’re up” completed a 48-hour exchange that transformed a playoff series into a personality-driven rivalry, matching Booker’s viral mock with a viral counter [2][5]. The moment showed how quickly off-the-cuff lines, when captured by local media and amplified nationally, can shape narratives and expectations heading into elimination games. It also signaled that Dallas took Booker’s jab personally, foreshadowing the intensity of Game 7 and giving fans a clear narrative: Phoenix talked in Game 5; Dallas would try to answer on the court [2][5].

Dallas answered immediately and decisively. On May 15, 2022, the Mavericks routed the Suns 123-90 in Phoenix to win the series. Doncic scored 35 points and matched Phoenix’s first-half output with 27. A widely shared photo of him smirking near Booker reinforced the idea that the Mavericks’ reply came on the scoreboard rather than via more quotes [2]. The verbal thread did not disappear, however. On March 5, 2023, the rivalry reignited in Dallas when Booker yelled after a late Doncic miss, prompting Doncic to snap, “Shut the f--- up!” before both players received double technicals. Postgame, Doncic said, “Just next time, don’t wait until there’s three seconds left to talk,” while Booker leaned into the narrative: “Here you go. We got some smoke” [3][6]. The dynamic of quips turning into headlines—and then into on-court confrontations—became the rivalry’s recognizable pattern.