Luka Doncic’s Lakers Surpass Expectations, Arrive Early to Dominate!

It only took six minutes—or perhaps closer to six minutes—for Luka Doncic to sink a 29-foot shot, vocally celebrate towards the Dallas Mavericks’ sideline, and dismiss any notion that this was just another regular game.

“I was overwhelmed with emotions,” Doncic remarked. “It’s hard to describe.”

The matchup was the Lakers versus Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena on a Tuesday. This game wasn’t the most anticipated Lakers-Mavs game—that is set for April when Doncic, now oddly enough on the Lakers, returns to Dallas. That future matchup is expected to be charged with emotion, but this particular game felt intensely personal.

Doncic started his warm-ups an hour before the game began. At the opposite end of the court, Mavericks GM Nico Harrison, who played a crucial role in the trade sending Doncic to Los Angeles, leaned on the scorer’s table, casting occasional glances towards Doncic who noticeably never returned the look.

Doncic admitted feeling anxious about playing against his former team, noting the deep ties he had with them over six and a half seasons—playing 422 regular-season games, 50 playoff games, scoring over 12,000 points, and accumulating more than 3,600 rebounds and 3,400 assists. The night before the game, he barely slept, daunted by the prospect of facing the Mavericks, even on his new home court in Los Angeles.

Jason Kidd, aware of the looming intensity, tried to downplay the significance of the game. While acknowledging the importance of the matchup for everyone involved, he remarked, “The train keeps moving. This game will come and go.”

Kidd, who was an assistant coach for the Lakers during the 2019-2020 season, recalled Anthony Davis’s return to New Orleans, where the team focused heavily on Davis. He expected a similar approach with Doncic.

Indeed, Doncic started tense, missing his first shot—a contested three-pointer. However, he soon found his groove, maneuvering past P.J. Washington for a layup, assisting LeBron James with an open three-pointer in transition, and scoring off his own missed shot for an additional bucket and foul.

By the end of the first quarter, Doncic had accumulated nine points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

He wrapped up the game with a triple-double, scoring 19 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, and distributing 12 assists, leading the Lakers to a 107–99 victory.

“He has a way of filling up the stat sheet like no other,” Kidd stated.

Despite not being flawless—shooting 6-for-17 from the field and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc—Doncic’s brilliance shone through. He executed a no-look pass over his head to Austin Reaves for an open three-pointer, connected with Jaxson Hayes for an alley-oop, and masterfully played a two-man game with James, leading to several open shots.

“Patience was key,” Doncic reflected. “This was a prime example of that.”

Throughout the game, chants of “Thank you, Nico” echoed around the arena, a nod to the GM who had traded him. The Lakers had preached patience after the trade, and as the postseason approached, the team’s performance was exceeding expectations.

Following Tuesday’s victory, the Lakers improved to a 35-21 record, edging slightly ahead of Houston for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. Since the beginning of February, the Lakers boasted the ninth-best offense in the NBA—a testament to James’s enduring greatness—and their defensive rating climbed to third, ahead of teams like Oklahoma City and Boston, a surprising feat considering Hayes was their most reliable rim protector.

The team’s defensive energy was palpable, with effective defense across the board and fewer fouls. The return of Jarred Vanderbilt and increased minutes for Dorian Finney-Smith bolstered their defensive lineup. Redick highlighted James’s defensive prowess, dispelling any notions of his conserving energy at his age: “He’s playing at an All-Defensive team level.”

The Lakers faced a challenging schedule ahead, with the fourth most difficult remaining lineup according to Tankathon.com, including two lengthy road trips in March. Despite the obstacles, James’s exceptional play and Doncic’s growing comfort were promising signs for the team.

Maintaining a top-four seed would be tough, but with James playing at an otherworldly level and Doncic adapting more each day, the team’s prospects looked bright. After the game, Doncic expressed relief that it was over. Although pleased with the triple-double, he wasn’t satisfied with his performance and found it bittersweet to compete against his former team. The emotional impact of the trade was still healing, he noted, but it was getting easier with each passing day.

“Closure will take time,” Doncic concluded. “It’s tough, but each day brings improvement.”

For the Lakers, the trade for Doncic was a strategic move for the future. While it might be premature to label them as championship contenders, the team’s recent form suggested that their time might come sooner than expected.

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