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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves

Injured Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is still finding a way to frustrate the Houston Rockets via bench trash talk. Doncic was seated on the bench for Game 4 with the rest of the Lakers and went out of his way to insult Alperen Sengun for missing a free throw. A new camera angle today showed that Luka uttered a phrase that also insulted Rockets reserve center Clint Capela.

Doncic was caught saying the following to Sengun directly:

“Baby, baby Capela,”

The insult was used by Luka to mock Sengun for his lackluster play at various points this season. Capela is known for being a strong center with obvious limitations on the court. The 2010s Rockets saw Capela only scoring via alley-oop lobs and other easy paint buckets set up by James Harden and Chris Paul.

Doncic said this to insult Sengun’s talent, despite being an All-Star center. Capela is also a lackluster free throw shooter, with a weak career average of 55% at the free throw line. Luka tried to compare Sengun to a role player who can contribute in minimal fashion and disappoints in glaring ways like missing free throws in this moment.

Luka Criticized For Talking Trash On Bench

No one is surprised at Doncic for talking trash since he’s one of the loudest players in the league when it comes to insulting his opponents. However, it gets more criticism when Luka or another player is talking loudly, despite not playing in the games.

Doncic has missed all four games and is not expected to return during this series. Lakers fans would be ecstatic if Luka is eligible to return for a potential second round series, likely against the top seed Oklahoma City Thunder. Doncic is doing all this talking to Sengun, but his teammates are the ones that must back it up.

Many believe the Lakers are overachieving by taking a 3-1 series lead without Doncic and Austin Reaves on the court just yet. Luka insulting the opposing team’s best player seems a bit ridiculous since he is sitting out every game and insulting Sengun would only hurt his own Lakers teammates by firing the All-Star up.

Alperen Sengun Helped Keep Houston’s Season Alive

The wildest thing about Doncic’s trash talk towards Sengun is that Sengun had a strong outing in Game 4. Both home games showed Sengun stepping up his intensity and starting to fully understand how to play playoff basketball with extra pressure on him.

19 points and 6 rebounds look like modest stats, but most of it came to help Houston get a commanding early lead they never lost. The Rockets dominated the Lakers and showed they have enough talent to keep up, even in games without Kevin Durant.

Reaves potentially returning soon and the 3-1 lead gives the Lakers a strong advantage moving forward. However, improved play from Sengun and Amen Thompson helped give Houston some confidence. Game 5 will be a pivotal showdown with the Lakers looking to end the series, and the Rockets hoping to shift some pressure with a win extending their playoff lives.