A week away from the one-year anniversary of Luka Dončić shockingly being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, the All-NBA guard finished with 33 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists in a 116-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks. This was Dončić’s second time back in Dallas since being traded, but his first since the firing of former general manager Nico Harrison, the architect of Dončić’s infamous departure.
LeBron James finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists on 7-for-15 shooting on a relatively quiet night for the future Hall of Famer. Rui Hachimura finished with 17 points off the bench, including a number of key late fourth-quarter buckets. Starters Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart combined for 26 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
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Coming into Saturday night, though, the most prominent talking point was the return of Dončić to the place he called home for seven seasons. There were no tears from Dončić this time, nor was there a tribute video or standing ovation from the American Airlines Center crowd, but Dončić’s importance to that arena, the Mavericks and city of Dallas as a whole will never be diminished.
“The significance of this will probably be there for the rest of his career,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters before the game. “This is where it started for him, made his first Finals appearance, where he was drafted.”
After a slow start which saw the Lakers miss seven of their first 10 shots, with minimal ball movement against a Mavericks defense intent on slowing Dončić down, the Slovenian responded aggressively to Dallas’ array of coverages, scoring 12 points and guiding Los Angeles to a nine-point lead after the opening frame.
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Los Angeles opted for a 2-3 zone against a Dallas team ranked in the bottom five in every 3-point shooting category, aiming to keep its opponent closer to the rim to prevent downhill drives. The Mavericks, despite their shooting troubles, opened the second half on a furious 16-0 run to take the lead — and stretched it to 15 at one point — but could not hold on, with the Lakers roaring back in the fourth on a 25-5 run.
Max Christie led a balanced Dallas scoring attack with 23 points, with Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall and Brandon Williams also finishing in double-digits.
Los Angeles avoided a two-game skid on the third stop of its eight-game road trip, and will travel to Chicago next.
The Lakers, who have been battling inconsistency and injuries lately, are desperately seeking some rhythm. Since a Jan. 6 win over the Pelicans (their third straight to start the new year), Los Angeles has lost six out of its last nine games, ranking just 18th in offensive efficiency and 22nd in defensive efficiency, according to Cleaning the Glass. The Lakers are also without star guard Austin Reaves, who has been out since late December with a left calf strain. In his absence, they have turned to veteran guard Smart — in addition to the insertion of sharpshooter LaRavia into the starting lineup. Reaves is expected to rejoin the team over the next 10 days, according to Redick.
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For Dončić, who has essentially shouldered the entire Lakers offense, the anticipated return of Reaves will be met with open arms. Dončić, who currently leads the NBA in scoring with 33.4 points per game, is also leading the team in assists (8.7) and is second in rebounds (7.8). According to Stathead, there have been only four players in NBA history who have averaged at least 30 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds in a season: Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook and Dončić. Despite Los Angeles’ recent struggles, the team is still a top-10 halfcourt offense and the Lakers are 5.4 points per 100 possessions better with Dončić on the floor.
Even with the win, the Lakers’ need for reinforcements is becoming clearer by the day with the trade deadline less than two weeks away, especially if Los Angeles wants to remain competitive in the Western Conference. The Lakers (27-17) are now tied in the win column with the Houston Rockets, who sit in fourth place. The team could benefit from an upgrade on the wings, adding size and two-way ability to a team lacking quality depth right now.
