Emotions were flying high in the Los Angeles Lakers’ first game against the Dallas Mavericks since the blockbuster trade that shook the NBA world. The Mavericks traded their young superstar, Luka Dončić, to the Lakers despite his desire to stay in Dallas. On Tuesday, he lined up against his former team for the first time. The Slovenian put himself in the record books with an exceptional performance that everyone was hoping to watch.
Luka Dončić Beats Dallas Mavericks With Record-Breaking Performance for Los Angeles Lakers
Tuesday’s affair in Los Angeles kicked off with Dallas general manager Nico Harrison being trolled by fans of both teams before Dončić started his revenge tour. He warmly greeted his former teammates before making a statement by the end of the first half.
Dončić posted a historic stat line through two quarters. The Lakers led by eight points and he recorded 12 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks — the first player to do so 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
The five-time All-Star added another record to his name by the end of the night, adding seven points and five assists to join LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Russell Westbrook as the only Lakers to record a triple-double within their first five games with the franchise.
The only Lakers to record a triple-double within their first five games with the franchise:
Magic Johnson
LeBron James
Russell Westbrook
Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/YmIReEDY1X— StatMamba (@StatMamba) February 26, 2025
Dončić took a few games to find his footing with Los Angeles, averaging just 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over his first three games in the purple and gold. It’s worth noting those were his first outings since returning from a calf injury sustained back in December, and he was on a minutes restriction for the first two.
Nevertheless, Dončić played well in a Feb. 22 matchup against the Denver Nuggets, leading the Lakers to a 123-100 win while stuffing the stat sheet with 32 points, 10 boards, seven assists, four steals, and a block.
While he struggled with his shot on Tuesday against his former team, shooting 6-of-17, Dončić showed his value through his playmaking skills, assisting James for the game-clinching layup in the last minute to win 107-99.
James led the revenge game for his new teammate, scoring 27 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists, while Austin Reaves also managed 20 points and five assists.
Dallas was without the former Laker Anthony Davis, who is out with an adductor injury he suffered in his Mavericks debut against the Houston Rockets. He played well in his introduction to Dallas, racking up 26 points in the first three quarters. Kyrie Irving was the only standout performer for the Mavericks on Tuesday, posting 35 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Klay Thompson recorded 22 points and eight rebounds.
