At a local sports bar in Dallas-Fort Worth on Tuesday night, one Mavericks fan summed up watching Luka Doncic take on his former team in an interesting way.
“They’ll be shoveling dirt on my grave,” he said, “and this trade still won’t make sense.”
That was among the many emotional takes from a fan base that remains in disbelief over seeing their superstar traded to the Los Angeles Lakers less than a month ago. It’s still surreal to see Doncic in a different jersey, and it became even stranger when he faced the Mavericks for the first time as an opposing player.
Doncic posted a triple-double with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists in the Lakers’ 107-99 victory. He is now just the third player to record a triple-double against every NBA team.
Doncic didn’t have his best shooting night, finishing 6-for-17 from the field, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range. But his triple-double served as a reminder of the numbers he can put up even on an off night.
For his part, Doncic described a feeling of relief afterward.
“I think in the first quarter, second quarter, I didn’t know what was happening,” he said. “It was just different. I can’t even explain how it felt. I can’t wait to go to sleep, honestly.”
The 19 points were the second-most Doncic has scored in five games with the Lakers. It was his first triple-double with the Lakers, a feat he accomplished 80 times over seven seasons with the Mavericks.
More than the numbers, though, was simply the moment itself. It’s been a whirlwind for all involved. Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving described it as “awkward” facing his former teammate and “hermano.”
“We got a chance to feel like we were in practice all over again, going at each other. That was a good reflection point,” said Irving, who led all scorers with 35 points. “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 was fun competing.”
Added Lakers star LeBron James, who finished with a team-high 27 points: “Obviously, there’s a lot of emotion that goes in when you give so much to a franchise and you sacrifice for a franchise and you have that type of love and respect for a franchise.”
The matchup was missing a key piece as Anthony Davis (left adductor strain) remains sidelined for the Mavericks. Doncic and Davis were the centerpieces of the blockbuster trade on Feb. 2.
But the night was about Doncic, given the magnitude of the trade and what he meant to the Mavericks fan base. This is a player who just led the team to the NBA Finals and was seemingly locked in through his prime years.
That all changed in stunning fashion earlier this month, something that is still puzzling to Mavericks faithful. Now, the focus shifts to the next meeting when Doncic returns to Dallas on April 9. That will bring even more emotion as he plays in front of a fan base that adored him.
“The closure is going to take a while,” Doncic said. “It’s not ideal. But, like I said, I’m glad this game is over. A lot of emotions. But we go little by little, and every day is better.”
