Following a defeat the other day against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Lakers met the Dallas Mavericks tonight and returned to winning ways with a convincing scoreline of 112-97. It is the ghost of the Mavericks' past that came back to haunt them. Luka Doncic, who was shockingly traded to the Lakers in the February trade deadline, returned to the American Airlines Center- this time as an opponent- and dropped his best performance for the Lakers to date. The Slovenian made his former side suffer by notching a whopping 45 points on the night.
Emotions Overwhelm Luka Doncic
Considering what transpired at the trade deadline and afterwards, a Lakers vs Mavericks game in Dallas was always awaited, and as it arrived Luka Doncic expectedly received all the attention and made headlines with his exceptional performance.
Ahead of the start of the game, the star guard received a rousing reception from the AAC crowd. The respect from the fans of his former franchise- the team he proudly represented for seven years- and the tribute he received left him emotional, and he was seen fighting hard to hold back tears. Eventually, the emotions got to him and he cut out a teary-eyed image.
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Luka Doncic Delivered a Performance for the Ages
Luka Doncic was exceptional throughout the game. Aside from hitting the 40-point mark, he contributed 8 rebounds, and 6 assists in the game. LeBron James was the second-best scorer on the day. He managed to register 27 points, with 7 rebounds and 3 assists. With the win, the Lakers have solidified their No.3 spot. However, to reiterate it was one of the rare occasions when a player was more in the spotlight rather than the team. What Luka Doncic produced on the day will be remembered for ages. Moreover, it will also remain a stark reminder for the Mavericks' decision-makers of the mistake they committed by sending their talisman away. As for the Mavericks faithful, Doncic's exploits will go down as bitter-sweet.
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