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Luka Dončić had 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in his first game against the Dallas Mavericks since they traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers, leading his new team to a 107-99 victory.
Dončić secured his first triple-double with the Lakers on an emotional night for the Slovenian superstar, who was blindsided by the seismic trade sending him to Los Angeles for Anthony Davis three weeks ago.
“It was just a lot of emotions I was feeling,” Dončić said. “I can’t even explain. It was a different game. Sometimes, I don’t know what I was doing. I’m just glad it’s over, honestly.”
Dončić was warmly greeted his former teammates, but also glared at the Mavs’ bench a few times during the night. He posted his first triple-double in a Lakers uniform, but also missed 11 of his 17 shots and was wild from three-point range. He made a dozen sublime passes and at least that many big defensive plays, yet he could only score two points in the fourth quarter of a tight game. That said, the 25-year-old capped a superb playmaking performance with an assist to LeBron James for a clinching layup with 32 seconds left.
“It was so weird,” Dončić said. “There were moments I felt like I don’t know what I was doing. I’m glad we got a win.”
James helped his new teammate by scoring 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter while Los Angeles held on for their third straight win and their 13th in 16 games.
“We understood as his teammates that we wanted to try to get this win for him,” James said. “Obviously, we know what transpired not too long ago. As his teammates, we wanted just to back him in any way, shape or form. Happy that I was – along with my teammates – able to make a couple of plays down the stretch to get him this win. I know he probably won’t say it, but I think it means something to him for sure.”
Kyrie Irving scored 35 points and Klay Thompson added 22 for the Mavericks.
“It was awkward, but at the same time, it was fun,” said Irving, Dončić’s good friend. “We got a chance to feel like we were in practice all over again, going at each other. That was a good reflection point, and then just seeing the crowd cheer for him and just get him going and see him make some of the tough shots that I’ve seen him make thousands of times, that probably made it even more awkward. But it was fun. It’s fun competing.”
Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, who is reviled by many Mavs fans for making the trade was serenaded by Lakers fans chanting “Thank you, Nico!”
Mark Cuban, who sold controlling interest in the Mavericks 14 months ago, also watched the game from courtside. The billionaire jokingly booed Dončić a few times before the player replied with a grin: “Shut up, Mark!”
Davis is injured but still attended the game, and he got a standing ovation in the first quarter when the Lakers aired a lengthy tribute video to their longtime center, who waved his arms in gratitude.
The next game between the teams should be even more intense. The Lakers visit Dallas on 9 April, and Mavs fans already have been extraordinarily vocal in their displeasure with Harrison and the Dallas ownership group.
