Luka Doncic Drops Triple-Double Against Dallas Mavericks

LOOKS LIKE Luka Dončić will have the last laugh for now, as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-99 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday (Philippine Time), dropping a historic triple-double. 

With the hype surrounding his first match against Dallas, Dončić was laser-focused to prove something to his former team, showing them what they gave up in one of the most stunning trades in NBA history.

The 26-year-old Slovenian superstar dropped his first-ever triple-double as a Lakers player, ending with 19 points (6-of-17 shooting), 15 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, and two blocks. 

The Lakers were expected to win, but the Mavericks put up a fight, with Kyrie Irving attempting to spoil the game. However, Dončić has a different plan.

One for Luka

Following a big win over their archrival Denver Nuggets, the Lakers definitely meant business in securing the victory today. Dončić came out of the gate determined to humiliate his former squad.

The highlight of the first quarter was when the 6-foot-7 Dončić stared down the entire Dallas bench after making one of his first 3-pointers at the 5:48 mark, allowing the Lakers to go up 28-20 at the end. 

Furthermore, the five-time All-NBA performer produced one of the season’s best assists, whipping the ball behind his head for a no-look pass to Austin Reaves, who hit a three in the second quarter. 

Given Irving’s dominance in Dallas, the final quarter was a tough battle for LA. To avoid a scare from the Mavericks, LeBron James took over and scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. 

Meanwhile, Irving finished the game with 35 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, while Klay Thompson contributed 22 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks.

On to the Next

The crowd at Crypto.com Arena joined in, repeatedly chanting “Thank you, Nico” at Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who was in the building. However, Luka is just focused on winning.

“I don’t know, honestly, I don’t know. The moments, it felt like I don’t know what I was doing, and I’m glad we got the win,” said Dončić, when asked how he handle his emotions facing his former team. 

Meanwhile, Lakers head coach JJ Redick attempted to keep the Slovenian composed. Giving him some tips to get things going yet stay organized throughout the game.

“JJ said during the timeout: Let’s get organized, and once we got organized on offense we got a lot of weapons. So, that was really big,” he said. 

“Honestly, I can’t remember. It was just a lot of emotions, and not much sleep, but it was a different game. Like I said, sometimes I don’t know what I was doing. I’m just glad it’s over.”

“It will definitely help me. Like I said, I’m just glad that this game is over, but it will definitely help in the long process,” he went on to say.

James’ Fourth Quarter

Dončić witnessed his idol, James, take over during the fourth quarter as the team struggled, in addition to his outstanding performance.

“He’s doing that at 40-year-old, which is insane. The take over in fourth quarter was unbelievable to watch,” Dončić shared.

“I talk a lot about patience. I think that was one of the best example about patience. You know, we kind of went back and forth, we expected the doubles, and stayed patient,” he added.

The series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks is now tied 1-1. The next game between the clubs will be played on April 10, 2025, in Dallas, and Anthony Davis is likely to be present.