It was a feisty start to Luka Doncic’s first game against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. The former Mavericks star, now a key player for the Los Angeles Lakers, expressed his competitive spirit by glaring at the Dallas bench multiple times and receiving a technical foul for passionately arguing with the referees in the first quarter of Tuesday’s thrilling 107-99 Lakers win in Los Angeles.
Doncic, at just 25, delivered a standout performance against his old squad with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks. His impact was felt throughout the game as he embraced the challenges of facing his former teammates.
“We just gotta embrace it,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick commented post-game. “It’s just a little weird, it just naturally is. I’ve never in my life playing basketball went to another team and played them the first time and said, ‘Oh, this is just another team.’ No, it isn’t. It’s healthy just to acknowledge it and embrace it. And then you play the game and never have to do that again.”
The game was sure to stir some emotions after the Mavericks stunned the basketball world by trading Doncic in a blockbuster deal that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas at the beginning of February. Doncic was hit with a technical early in the game after expressing frustration over a non-call when he went for a layup and was clearly fouled, though the referees did not make the call.
After being handed the technical, Doncic continued to showcase his prowess, nailing two 3-pointers and glaring at the Dallas bench. With over six minutes still on the clock, Doncic hit a deep trey to put the Lakers up 16-14. As he ran back to play defense, he stared down the Mavericks' bench along the sideline, a gesture he repeated after sinking another 3-pointer to extend the Lakers’ lead to five.
“It was so weird in the moment,” Doncic reflected after the game. “I probably don’t know what I was doing, and I’m glad we got the win.” The new Lakers star finished the night shooting 6 of 17 from the field and going 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.
Earlier in the evening, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, present at Crypto.com Arena, watched as Doncic warmed up. A Mavericks fan was filmed with a sign about loyalty, stating “Loyalty Never Fades Away,” with “Never” crossed out, standing right behind Harrison.
Lakers fans, in contrast, chanted “Thank you, Nico,” during the first half when Doncic approached the foul line. Davis, making his first appearance back in his old home following the trade, received a warm welcome as the Lakers played a tribute video for him in the first quarter.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Austin Reaves contributed significantly to the Lakers’ success, scoring 27 and 20 points, respectively, leading the team to a 35-21 standing.
