LOS ANGELES — It would have been easy for Luka Dončić to claim that Tuesday's game was a cathartic experience, that facing and defeating his former teammates in Dallas Mavericks jerseys would be enough to heal the pain of being traded, of feeling betrayed.
It would have been easy to let the chants of “Thank you, Nico” from the Lakers crowd lift him, to feel welcomed — even though the moment felt a bit awkward with Anthony Davis receiving a heartfelt video tribute on the same night.
But it doesn’t work that way, not for either side. It likely won’t be that simple in the coming weeks either when the Los Angeles Lakers travel to Dallas for their first-ever home game against Dončić since his trade.
“The closure is going to take a while, I think,” Dončić said. “I don’t know, it’s just not ideal. Like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There were a lot of emotions. It’ll get better, little by little. Every day is better.”
Whatever this process is, it’ll be slow and drawn out, and the Lakers have plenty of time on their side. They’ve been gradually building a solid defense this season, slowly figuring out how to get the most out of LeBron James in his remaining years, and now they have to integrate Dončić’s immense talent into their system before the playoffs start in two months.
In an emotionally charged game Tuesday in Los Angeles, Luka Dončić led the Lakers to a 107-99 victory over the Mavericks with a triple-double. Yet the wounds from his surprising trade remain fresh.
Dončić’s performance — full of energy and drive — was just the beginning of what’s sure to be many more such outings in a Laker uniform. He powered the Lakers early while James sealed the win in the fourth quarter.
The game was a hard-fought win at Crypto.com Arena, set against a tense backdrop as all eyes waited for Dončić to unleash his emotions. Predictably, Dončić seemed amped up for the matchup, doing push-ups during his pregame shooting session, while Mavericks GM Nico Harrison sat across the floor, calm and collected.
Despite the anticipation, fireworks were scarce, but both teams played with a lot of emotion, nearly burning out by the end of the game. The Mavericks nearly pulled off an improbable win despite the intensity.
LeBron James has faced every kind of pressure as a pro but has never experienced being discarded by a franchise. James is usually the one making the tough decisions, so his role here was limited.
All James and the Lakers could do was offer Dončić an emotional buffer, helping him not drown in his anger toward his former team. Even JJ Redick, who couldn’t ignore the oddness of the situation, encouraged everyone to embrace the discomfort.
“I thought he handled it well,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick. “Not a great shooting night, but he made a lot of plays. He was clearly worked up to start the game. That’s expected, but he settled in.”
Aside from an early emotional burst — hitting two shots in a row and barking at the Mavericks bench — Dončić kept his composure throughout the game. His stat line of 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists reflected steady, solid play rather than the explosive performance some might have expected.
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