NBA: Dazzling, Doncic carries the Lakers and takes a resounding revenge on Dallas

He didn't miss his appointment. Sent without ceremony by Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers at the beginning of February, Luka Doncic unleashed himself on the Mavericks with a triple-double and a victory (107-99) on Tuesday in front of his new, delighted public.

After the shock of an improbable transfer , mainly an exchange with Anthony Davis, the Slovenian is gradually getting used to the gold and purple jersey and showed it brilliantly this Tuesday. With a feeling of revenge in the air, he who thought he would spend his entire career in Dallas, before being traded without being warned as the cold business of the NBA sometimes wants.

"Show them they made a mistake," demanded former Lakers center and star consultant Shaquille O'Neal before the game. Mission accomplished with a thick triple-double (19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists) in his 5th game with his new team (and his 4th since the start of the season).

Right from the start of the game, Doncic made a block, an interception, and screamed his rage at a referee who was collecting a technical foul: several signs that he was well in the game. The Slovenian had 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists in the first quarter, turning around to tease the Mavericks bench after each long-range shot.

An improbable back pass to Austin Reaves, which no one in the stadium understood except him, justified his nickname "Luka Magic" to his new fans. The crowd also chanted "thank you Nico", which gently teased Nicolas Harrison , the Mavericks manager, responsible for the shock transfer with his Lakers counterpart Rob Pelinka.

After two very good games, Doncic's integration in Los Angeles, who had only known the Mavericks since his draft in 2018, seems to be on track. "I'm happy that it's over," admitted the player, who nevertheless thinks that "turning the page will take time."

"I think having some familiar faces around helps him," said his coach JJ Redick, who played with the prodigy in 2021. The game got heated in the last quarter, where LeBron James (27 points, 12 rebounds) was excellent, notably for an acrobatic layup on a long pass from the Slovenian.

Anthony Davis, who went the other way, was on the bench (abdominal injury), from where he received a vibrant tribute with a video broadcast on the giant screen during the first timeout, celebrating in particular his title with the Lakers in 2020. Despite the injuries, Dallas offered great resistance in the wake of Kyrie Irving (35 points), who warmly embraced his former teammate.