What Luka’s return to Dallas meant for him, the Mavs, the Lakers and the NBA playoffs
The first course of action many NBA fans looked up after the Dallas Mavericks shockingly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 2 was simple: When do the Lakers play in Dallas next?
They were met with “April 9,” a nine-week wait for what would ultimately become one of the most anticipated regular season games in NBA history. Sure, the Mavericks had already traveled to face Doncic and his new team on March 1 — a 109-104 Lakers victory — but Wednesday night at American Airlines Center was the league’s must-see event of the second half of the season.
Doncic, the crowd in Dallas and both teams met the moment, and the Mavericks’ former star reminded his former franchise why fans held protests, and even a symbolic funeral, after the trade .
Behind 45 points, eight rebounds, six assists, Doncic led the Lakers to a 112-97 win over the Mavericks, clinching a playoff spot for Los Angeles in the process. Following an emotional pre-game intro, Doncic poured in 31 first-half points as the home crowd-visiting crowd erupted with each touch.
From what the atmosphere was like inside the arena to what the Mavericks can do in the offseason, to what this victory might mean for the Lakers’ playoff chances, our ESPN insiders tackle the biggest questions off Doncic’s first night back in Dallas.
1. The atmosphere in Dallas on Wednesday was _______
Emotional, electrifying and extremely awkward at times.
Tears flowed down Doncic’s cheeks as the Mavs’ tribute video for him played before his turn in pregame introductions. He’s still clearly getting over the heartbreak after suddenly being shipped away from the city he hoped would be his NBA home forever.
That was a sentiment shared by the vast majority of folks who filled the American Airlines Center. That included Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki, who attended his first Mavs home game since the trade. (The only other NBA game Nowitzki has watched in person since Feb. 1? His buddy Doncic’s Lakers debut in Los Angeles.)
A small percentage of the fans wore the white giveaway T-shirts with “Hvala za vse” — thanks for everything, in Slovenian — printed on the front. Many more wore Dončić’s No. 77 jerseys, from Mavs to Slovenia to Lakers editions. Others wore shirts expressing their frustration with Mavs general manager Nico Harrison, the man primarily responsible for Doncic’s undesired departure.
“Fire Nico!” chants were frequent, beginning with the first dead ball four seconds after the opening tip. Harrison pretended not to hear them as he stood in a midcourt tunnel, his seat unoccupied as it has been since the trade was made.
On the other hand, Doncic was showered with love and adoration as he lit up the franchise he hoped he’d belong to forever. — Tim MacMahon
2. Luka’s performance Wednesday night was _____
Everything we could have hoped. Capturing the moment, Doncic shifted quickly from shedding tears to raining 3s. He had three makes from beyond the arc in each of the first two quarters en route to 31 points, his most in a half with the Lakers.
Doncic’s scoring pace predictably slowed after halftime. That showcased the value of his partnership with James, who had 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers opened up a double-digit lead. Down the stretch, Doncic took back over, scoring seven consecutive L.A. points starting at the 3:30 mark before leaving to a standing ovation with 45 points.
Doncic needed just 28 shot attempts, plus nine foul shots, to get there. Add in eight rebounds, six assists and four steals and Doncic’s 48.1 game score was his second-highest this season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Mavericks fans have seen so many of these incandescent performances from Doncic, making it bittersweet to see one in his return. Per ESPN Research, Doncic joined Wilt Chamberlain in 1964-65 as just the second player in NBA history to score at least 45 points both for and against the same team in the same season. — Kevin Pelton
3. The biggest offseason priorities for Dallas are ____
Getting back a healthy Kyrie Irving, using their lottery pick and, once again, exploring trades. Other than the veteran minimum exception, Dallas does not have money to spend in free agency. What they do have are three first-round picks and 12 players earning between $2 million and $16 million available to trade.
Is that enough to potentially bring in Kevin Durant to team up with Irving and Anthony Davis? Since they are projected to be a first-apron team, the Mavs would need to trade at least four players and still remain below the apron — a tall task considering Irving, Durant and Davis would earn a combined $150 million.
But Harrison has a track record of big moves; the Mavericks roster that finishes the 2025-26 season could look very different than the one in October. Since taking over basketball operations in June 2021, Harrison has made 16 trades and has continually searched for the right combination of players to win a championship. The lone players remaining from the Mavs’ 2022 Western Conference finals team are Dwight Powell and Spencer Dinwiddie. — Bobby Marks
Source: espn.com