Mavs: Luka Doncic-Devin Booker scuffle draws 'inevitable' reaction

According to Tim Hardaway Jr., the scuffle between Luka Doncic and Devin Booker was bound to happen at some point.

The Dallas Mavericks lost to the Phoenix Suns 130-126 Sunday afternoon in Dallas, but it was a confrontation between Mavericks forward Luka Doncic and Suns guard Devin Booker that had people talking after the contest.

With Dallas trailing by two at the end of regulation, Doncic drove to the basket, but missed a layup that would have tied the game. The Suns grabbed the rebound, and salted the game away with two free throws by Kevin Durant.

After the play, Booker appeared to say something in the direction of the referee, saying there should have been an offensive foul called. Doncic, perhaps thinking Booker was directing his language at him, came to meet him nose-to-nose. The two stars would be separated before things escalated further.

If we were to ask Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr., the scuffle between Luka Doncic and Devin Booker was bound to happen, and loved seeing his teammate mixing it up.

“I love it because I know 77 (Doncic's jersey number) isn t going to back down from anybody,” Hardaway Jr. said, according to a tweet from Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. Townsend also reported Hardaway Jr. figured it was inevitable because of what happened between Doncic and Booker in the playoffs.

In last season's Western Conference semifinals, the Mavericks eliminated the Suns in seven games, capping off the victory with a resounding triumph in Phoenix. Throughout the series, Doncic and Booker continuously chirped at each other, both on and off the court.

Judging off of what happened in Sunday's matchup, those feelings are still fresh, and there's no sign of a softening of the respective stances any time soon.

It smells like the playoffs are around the corner.