LeBron Reacts to Luka Doncic's 'Emotional' Return to Dallas After AD Trade, Lakers' Win vs. Mavs
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 116-110 on Saturday, and Luka Dončić was once again the storyline as he led his new team to a road victory over his old team in front of a crowd that still showed him plenty of love.
Teammate LeBron James pointed out that while it was still "emotional," it was also less of a "shock" with more comfortability than the first time Dončić played Dallas as a visitor.
"The most important [thing] is just his comfort," James told reporters. "Obviously, when you get traded midseason and him spending his first seven or eight years here, it was a shock to everybody. Everybody who was involved, everybody who wasn't involved.
"The biggest thing this year is that he's more comfortable. … Understanding this is his team. So, we are all rallying around him. We know it's an emotional and big game when you come back and play your former team. And he showed why [he is] who he is tonight, obviously."
Dončić showed who he is in a major way with 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 shooting from deep.
He also spearheaded an impressive comeback, as the Mavericks built a 15-point lead with fewer than seven minutes remaining in large part because of a dominant third quarter (35-14). However, the visitors controlled play from there and even had some breathing room by the end.
Dončić assisted important baskets from James and Rui Hachimura down the stretch. The King scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, while Hachimura connected on a four-point play and a three-pointer on back-to-back possessions to give the Lakers the lead with fewer than three minutes left.
Los Angeles also defeated the Mavericks by 10 in November, although that game was in Los Angeles.
This was Dončić's second visit to American Airlines Center since one of the most shocking trades in recent NBA history sent him from the Mavericks to the Lakers in a deal that also ended with Anthony Davis in Dallas.
Dončić was the franchise cornerstone for the Mavericks, and the trade angered many fans. Dallas has since fired former general manager Nico Harrison, and the fans were still cheering Dončić on Saturday.
He even had a surprise for some of them:
While not quite the spectacle it was during his first road game in Dallas, the five-time All-NBA selection will always generate headlines when he returns. Saturday was no different, and the Lakers' next road matchup with the Mavericks is April 5.
