Less than a month after being shipped out of Dallas, Luka Doncic faced the Mavericks for the first time in his career. In the 107-99 home win, the Slovenian guard recorded his first triple-double as a Laker, impacting the outcome despite a rough shooting night.
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In 35 minutes of action, Doncic tallied 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. To add to his contributions, the 25-year-old continued his streak of strong defensive performances by adding 3 steals and 2 blocks to his box score.
After the game, TNT’s Adam Lefkoe asked Luka how it felt to face his former teammates. Earnestly, Doncic didn’t hide his feelings and candidly answered, “Great. I can’t wait to go to sleep honestly.”
"I can't wait to go to sleep, honestly" 😂
Luka after he took down his former team with a Triple-Double effort 💪 pic.twitter.com/bgP1iAw5hB
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 26, 2025
The home game against Dallas saw Doncic play his most minutes in a Lakers uniform. It’s a promising sign that the guard is recovering well from the left calf injury he picked up on Christmas.
Along with his increased involvement, Luka might also feel drained by the emotional aspect of facing his former team. He touched on his emotions about the matchup during his interview with Lefkoe.
“I don’t know how to explain it. I think the first quarter, second quarter, I don’t know what was happening. It was just different. I can’t even explain how I felt,” the five-time All-Star reflected.
His comments were very much in line with his previous remarks about leaving Dallas. Doncic revealed that he never saw the trade coming and initially thought he was being pranked when he heard the news. After all, the Slovenian superstar probably never considered the prospect of playing for another team.
When he was drafted to Dallas in 2018, he formed a close connection with Dirk Nowitzki, who was in his 21st season with the Mavs. Luka foresaw a similar legacy with the franchise, expecting to retire as a one-team player. Unfortunately, he wasn’t given that chance.
And even 25 days after being traded, it’s understandable that Doncic hasn’t fully processed the shocking move. Perhaps he’ll be able to share his feelings on the departure more succinctly when the Lakers and Mavericks play the final game of their regular season series.
On the 9th of April, Doncic will suit up in American Airlines Center’s away locker room for the first time in his career.
