Luka Dončić both cried and conquered in his return to Dallas on Wednesday, beginning the game with remnants of tears in his eyes before leading his new team to a 112-97 win.
The former Dallas Mavericks star had 31 points at halftime before stepping off the gas a bit, eventually finishing with 45 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. It was LeBron James who power the Lakers in the second half, posting 27 points and seven rebounds.
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Dončić’s 45 points tied a Lakers career high, while the win officially clinched an NBA playoff spot for Los Angeles.
There was no shortage of speculation about how Dončić’s first game back in Dallas would go. Would the Mavericks welcome him like he deserved? How receptive would he be after the trade that shook the NBA? How hard would he push to punish them for dealing him away?
The emotions of the night became abundantly clear minutes before the game, when the Mavericks’ tribute video reduced the 26-year-old to open tears.
Dončić told ESPN the video moved him to the point that he wasn’t sure he would be able to play:
“So many emotions, can”t even explain it … I don’t know how I did it, because when I was watching that video I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.’ But all my teammates had my back. They really supported me, so I appreciate that.”
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The American Airlines Center was going through similarly conflicting feelings, loudly cheering for Dončić every time he got the ball early on while still rooting for their team to take down the Lakers. One area where they were not conflicted, though, was on Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who executed the trade. Chants of “Fire Nico” rang out repeatedly when players were at the free throw line.
The 38-42 Mavericks were competitive for much of the game, but a 14-1 run midway through the fourth quarter put the game out of reach. The dagger arguably came from Dončić.
Dončić proceeded to receive a standing ovation from the Dallas crowd as he checked out for the final time. He also spent time after the game embracing with former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban and Mavericks fan Patrick Mahomes. Then he told ESPN he was ready to move on:
“All these fans, I really appreciate it. All the teammates I had, everyone had my back. I’m just happy. I love these fans, I love this city, but it’s time to move on.”
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The Mavericks are now 0-2 against the Lakers since the Dončić trade, having lost their first meeting in Los Angeles 107-99. The Lakers improved to 49-31, holding onto sole possession of third place in the West, while Dallas still holds onto the final play-in spot in 10th place.
Here’s how it all went down on Yahoo Sports:
