Luka Dončić powers Lakers past Mavericks with first triple-double of his L.A. tenure
LOS ANGELES — As Luka Dončić prepared to run out of the Los Angeles Lakers' tunnel for his pregame warmup, he was serenaded with cheers and applause by multiple rows of fans wearing No. 77 Lakers and Slovenia jerseys lining the railings.
From the fanfare outside the arena, including a parked Laker-themed Koenigsegg Regera from Jordan Brand, to the chaos inside the arena, including media members filling the baseline and forcing the Lakers to upgrade to a bigger news conference room, the gravity of the emotionally charged moment was clear.
Advertisement
The Lakers' DJ quickly shifted from hip-hip to Serbian music as Dončić started shooting left-handed floaters. On the other side of the floor, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison watched Dončić warm up while he leaned against the scorer's table. A few feet away from him, Anthony Davis, who remains out with an abdominal injury, took set shots around the floor before finishing his warm-up with free throws.
The principal figures — sans Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, who emerged from the Lakers' locker room a bit later — were front and center. Dončić on one end, Harrison and Davis on the other. The new normal was still jarring despite over three weeks having passed since the stunning Feb. 1 blockbuster trade.
In an emotional reunion against his former franchise, teammates and coaches, Dončić finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists — his first triple-double as a Laker and fourth of the season — as the Lakers outlasted the Mavericks 107-99.
'I think with him, he's at his best when he has that balance of joy and playfulness and that killer mentality,' coach JJ Redick said pregame. 'Just perfectly living in the moment of competition. And he'll find that tonight.'
Dončić found his moment midway through the first quarter when he drilled a 29-foot 3-pointer off an offensive rebound from Dorian Finney-Smith. Dončić turned toward his former team and bench and let out one of his trademark stares and roars.
Luka's making a statement EARLY 🔋
Hits the deep 3 and is already up to 7p, 6r & 4a in the 1Q on TNT! pic.twitter.com/exFMtarosq
— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2025
From that moment on, Dončić, still finding his footing with the Lakers, commanded the offense. He had plenty of help from LeBron James (27 points and 12 rebounds) and Austin Reaves (20 points and five assists) as the Lakers outscored the Mavericks 11-5 over the final 3:15.
Kyrie Irving had 35 points and seven rebounds for Dallas. Klay Thompson had 22 points and eight rebounds.
Advertisement
After the game, multiple Lakers players, including Reaves, Finney-Smith, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish and Markieff Morris, walked over to the Mavericks' bench to greet former teammates Davis and Max Christie.
The Lakers honored Davis with a video tribute during the first timeout of the first quarter.
The Lakers just honored Anthony Davis with a video tribute during the first timeout pic.twitter.com/Z1NewMXFxy
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) February 26, 2025
The Lakers improved to 35-21 and No. 4 in the Western Conference. The Mavericks dropped to 31-28 and No. 9 in the West.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
LeBron James leans into retirement rumors with new ad
Is this the end for LeBron James? The NBA legend posted a video to his profile on X on Saturday that will likely only fan the flames of any retirement rumors he will face this offseason. James posted a seven-second clip of him sitting at a faux press conference when one person asked: 'Are the retirement rumors true?' As the 40-year-old was set to answer, the clip quickly cut to black ('The Sopranos,' anyone?) without any response. 3 Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James appears during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Los Angeles. AP 'I've been asking myself the same question… #ad,' he wrote with thinking and crown emojis. James has a player option with the Lakers worth more than $52 million for the coming season, though it's still not clear if he'll opt in or not. 3 LeBron James in the ad he posted Saturday. After Los Angeles was dispatched in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Timberwolves, James said he was uncertain about his basketball future. 'I don't know,' James told reporters. 'I don't have an answer to that. Something I'll sit down with my family, my wife and my support group and kind of just talk through it and see what happens. And just have a conversation with myself on how long I want to continue to play. 'I don't know the answer to that right now, to be honest. So, we'll see.' 3 Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (9) during the second half in game five of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The retirement chatter has surrounded James the past few years, which he officially squashed when he announced he'd return to the Lakers in 2023 at the ESPYs and again returned last season on a two-year, $104 million contract. This all came after James said in 2022 that his last season in the NBA would be with his son Bronny. 'My last year will be played with my son,' James told the Athletic in 2022. 'Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. 'I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point.' Last year, the two did indeed play together as Bronny was taken in the second round of the NBA draft before appearing in 27 games at the NBA level. Whether the father-son duo plays more games together remains to be seen.
Yahoo
38 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA executive: 'I'm sure the Lakers have already talked to' one center who will be a free agent
Seemingly everyone is proposing any number of trade ideas that would give the Los Angeles Lakers the type of starting-caliber center they badly need in order to seriously contend for the NBA championship next season. But there is another way the team could land such a player — through free agency. Unfortunately, signing a viable center in free agency won't be easy. If LeBron James were to opt out of his current contract and sign a new one while taking a reasonable pay cut, the Lakers could gain access to the full mid-level exception of roughly $14 million. But he's not expected to take a pay cut, and as a result, they will likely only have the much smaller $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception. Advertisement However, there is always a chance $5.7 million could be enough to obtain Brook Lopez, a veteran center who has spent the last seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. According to Gary Woelfel, a sportswriter in Wisconsin, one NBA executive thinks the Lakers have already had contact with Lopez. Lopez is 37 years of age, but he was still productive this season. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks a game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 37.3% from 3-point range this season. The 7-foot-1, 282-pound center once played for the Lakers during the 2017-18 season, and he spent his early childhood in the San Fernando Valley. While in Milwaukee, he won an NBA championship during the 2020-21 campaign. Advertisement While he could help the Purple and Gold as a rim protector and 3-point shooter, his age is one reason the team should think twice about adding him. Building a team for and around the 26-year-old Luka Doncic means going after young players who are athletic and can run and jump, not older players who are nearing the end of their careers. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: NBA executive: 'I'm sure the Lakers have already talked to' one center
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Insider: Lakers have 'long been fans' of upcoming free agent center
It is just about a certainty that the Los Angeles Lakers will be very aggressive in terms of upgrading at the center position this summer. They're expected to explore trade options, but they may also receive some help in the department from the free agent market. One soon-to-be free agent center who has been linked to them is Brook Lopez of the Milwaukee Bucks. Although he is 37 years of age, he has continued to be productive, especially in terms of his 3-point shooting, rim protection and shot-blocking. Advertisement According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Lakers have had a soft spot for Lopez for some time now (h/t Lakers Daily). 'The Lakers have long been fans of Lopez, sources say,' Fischer wrote. 'That doesn't guarantee they will pursue him again, but the Lakers are indeed expected to be a player in the center market this summer.' Lopez averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 50.9% from the field and 37.3% from 3-point range this season. While he's likely a risk due to his 17 seasons of NBA wear and tear, he could be able to provide one serviceable season as a stopgap solution for the Lakers. He played for them during the 2017-18 season, one year before LeBron James came to town. Recently, a reporter quoted an NBA executive as saying he was "sure the Lakers have already talked to" Lopez, who spent his early childhood in the San Fernando Valley. This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Insider: Lakers have 'long been fans' of upcoming free agent center
