Playing against his former team for the first time, Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić recorded a triple double in a 107-99 win against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Dončić scored 19 points, dished 12 assists and collected 15 rebounds for Los Angeles, which improved to 34-21 with the victory.
The Lakers were playing the Mavericks for the first time since trading for Dončić on Feb. 2, a move that shocked the NBA world. The game took place in Dončić’s new home of L.A.
“I don’t know how to explain it. It was just different,” Dončić told TNT after the game about the emotions he felt playing against his old team. He added that he went through his normal routine before the game to help maintain his focus.
Dončić began the game strong, scoring nine points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists through only one quarter. Fans hoping for a revengeful scoring outburst were left wanting a little more, however, as Dončić — a career 28.6 points per game scorer — added only 10 points over the final three quarters.
Dallas hounded its former superstar with constant double teams, turning Dončić into more of a facilitator than shooter. LeBron James led Los Angeles in scoring with 27 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter.
Kyrie Irving paced the Mavericks with 35 in a losing effort.
Dallas was without several key players, most notably big man Anthony Davis, who was acquired by the team in the Doncic trade. Davis, who won a championship with the Lakers in 2020, has not played since Feb. 8 due to a thigh injury. He was honored by Los Angeles during the game with a tribute video.
After Tuesday’s win, Dončić has now played in five games with the Lakers. He has scored more than 20 points only once in those five appearances, with the team posting a 3-2 record.
So far in his tenure with Los Angeles, Dončić is averaging 19.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists a contest.
Dončić will get another crack at the Mavericks before the end of the regular season. The Lakers are scheduled to play in Dallas on April 9, which will be Dončić’s first return to the city since the trade.
“The closure is going to take a while,” Dončić said in his postgame press conference. “I’m glad this game is over. A lot of emotions. Every day is better.”
