The Luka Dončić era started off slow in LA but has picked up some serious steam since then. Coming back from the longest absence of his career, thanks to a calf injury that had been ailing him for quite some time, Dončić took a bit to get used to his new team. But against the Denver Nuggets, it looked like he finally found his footing.
For the first time since joining the Los Angeles Lakers, the Slovenian was looking like his MVP buzz, and it was right in time for a clash against the team that unceremoniously traded him — the Dallas Mavericks. It didn’t take long for the five-time All-Star to make his mark, posting a historic total in the first half alone.
Luka Dončić Dominates Against the Dallas Mavericks
Even though Anthony Davis wasn’t available due to a reaggravated groin injury, the Mavericks, winners of four of their last six, were going to be a tough matchup for Los Angeles. And the game was close throughout the first half, with LA up just eight at halftime.
Yet, in that timeframe, it was Dončić who had solidified himself as the best player on the court. Leaving his fingerprints all over the court, he was already up to 12 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
But, of course, defense wins championships in the NBA, as Mavs GM Nico Harrison knows all too well, and the five-time first-team All-NBA selection was no slouch on the less glamorous end either. Dončić had already recorded two steals and blocks apiece.
As Max Gorenstein was quick to point out, the 12-12-7-2-2 stat line was the only time in NBA history that a player recorded similar or better numbers in a single half in the play-by-play era.
Luka Doncic: 12 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk in first half.
First player to record those stats in any half in play-by-play era. pic.twitter.com/i5o3zdITOn— Max's Picks (@MaxGorenstein) February 26, 2025
However, in the second half, the game got much tighter, as Dallas, thanks to an excellent third quarter, pulled within one. At one point, the game was tied at 88 before a final flurry by the Lakers secured the dub.
On the evening as a whole, Dončić finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and even had 12 assists to register his first triple-double as a member of the purple and gold. And as mentioned, he got it done on the defensive side as well, finishing the game with three steals and two blocks.
Dončić also became just the third player in league history to record a triple-double against all 30 teams, after Russell Westbrook and teammate LeBron James.
