Luka Dončić takes revenge against Dallas with his first triple-double with the Lakers

It was meant to be a big night of revenge for Luka Dončić. And so it was. The Slovenian, with the Lakers since his surprise transfer three weeks ago, wanted to send a strong message to the Dallas Mavericks, who were his team for seven seasons. The new star of Los Angeles savoured revenge against the organisation that let him go without touching his heart. With his first triple-double dressed in yellow and purple (19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists), Dončić led his team to victory (99-107), also supported by LeBron James (27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists). On the rival team, Kyrie Irving, Dallas point guard, could not avoid defeat against the Lakers despite a great night with 35 points.

“I don’t know what happened in the first quarter, I have no words to explain it,” Dončić told television after the game. “I couldn’t do much today, but I’m satisfied with the win,” said the 25-year-old guard, who, ambitiously, perhaps hoped to have completed an even more complete game, one that lived up to his quality and expectations. The Slovenian was, in any case, relieved to have gotten over the bitter experience that had made him face the man who once considered him his central player. On April 9, however, Dončić will have another milestone before him, surely even more relevant, a new match against the Mavericks, but this time at his home, the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The Slovenian player appeared on the court this afternoon looking much thinner and smiling. He avoided Nico Harrison, the Dallas manager and the architect of the signing that sent him to the Pacific. The Lakers fans shouted: “Thank you, Nico!” The Dallas leadership, a team that lost the NBA finals last year to Boston just eight months ago with Dončić as the leader of the franchise, denied that the transfer was done in bad faith. However, the last few weeks have given rise to speculation that the owners doubted Luka’s commitment to the franchise and that he was not working hard enough to stay in shape. The team president, Rick Welts, one of the most successful executives in the NBA, confessed last week in an exclusive interview with the Dallas Morning News that they underestimated the response from the fans. This was so great that it forced the organization to return the money for the season tickets to those who demanded the transfer.

Dončić greeted his former teammates warmly, especially Irving, whom he considers his “brother” in Spanish, and with whom he shared a special handshake. The Slovenian star, however, was far from the dominant form he showed on Saturday against the Nuggets in Denver, when he scored 32 points in 31 minutes. That remains his best game with his new team, although tonight was his fourth triple-double of the season, the first since December 15, then still with the Mavericks.

Accustomed to pressure and high expectations, Dončić struggled to connect with the game at the start. Former players like Shaquille O'Neal and Vince Carter had said that it would be enough to see his first basket to know what kind of night number 77 would have. That was the prediction of a couple of veterans. They were not wrong. The ball came into Dončić's hands a few seconds into the game. He went for a three-pointer. And he missed. The Slovenian scored only three of seven shots in the first quarter. More efficient was James, who carried the Lakers in the early minutes with seven quick points. Dončić assumed the role of point guard and relied on Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves in the first two quarters. In the second quarter he found Reaves outside the area with a blind pass behind his back, and the latter scored a three-pointer. The Arkansas native had another great night with 20 points. The Japanese scored 15.

Anthony Davis, who was sent to Texas in exchange for Dončić , was the other star of the night, cheered by the 19,000-strong crowd at Crypto Stadium in Los Angeles before the game. He followed him from the bench, suffering from an abductor injury that will keep him out of the team until mid-March. Also on the list of absentees are Caleb Martin, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively. And if that wasn't enough for the Mavericks, who were hampered by injuries, they lost Dante Exum tonight, who left after an accidental collision with James.

This limited the Mavs' offense. PJ Washington scored zero points in 34 minutes on the court. The Lakers led by as many as 16 points. The comeback was close in the final period thanks to 12 turnovers by the Lakers, which Dallas was able to convert into ten points. But above all, Klay Thompson found the basket after an irregular first half. The former champion with Golden State made three consecutive three-pointers and scored 11 points at the close of the game. And Irving contributed eight.

It wasn't enough. LeBron James also woke up towards the end of the game, having only scored two points in the third quarter. At the end, when he was most needed, the still great Lakers star, an NBA legend, appeared to score 16 points between deep three-pointers, dunks and a couple of well-worked baskets under the backboard. On Luka's night, the 40-year-old veteran also said "I'm still here."