Playing in Dallas for the second time since his blockbuster trade to the Lakers, Luka Doncic scores 33 points as the Lakers surge late in a 116-110 comeback win.<\/b>
\nLuka Doncic was met with a chorus of cheers when he strolled onto the court at American Airlines Center to do his pregame shooting routine.
\u201cWe love you Luka,\u201d the fans chanted. \u201cWe love you.\u201d
Doncic smiled and waved toward the crowd. He had spent six-plus seasons playing for the Mavericks, a place he thought he would call home for his entire career as the face of the franchise.
But a stunning, three-team trade last year sent Doncic to the Lakers.
Doncic returned to Dallas for the second time since the trade, leading the Lakers to a 116-110 comeback win on cold and icy Saturday night.
Doncic was magnificent with 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as he improved to 4-0 against his former team.
The Lakers led by 14 points at one point before going down by 15 in the fourth quarter. They made a stirring comeback behind the three-point shooting of Rui Hachimura and the hustle and determination from LeBron James and Marcus Smart.
Hachimura, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, made a three-pointer while being fouled late in the fourth quarter, yelling after the play. He made the free throw and then made another three-pointer to put the Lakers ahead 108-106, a lead they wouldn\u2019t lose.
Smart and James then each tipped in missed shots and Doncic made two free throws and another basket to put the game away.
James finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Smart had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
\u201cSure, the significance of this probably will be there for the rest of his career,\u201d said Lakers coach JJ Redick about Doncic playing in Dallas. \u201cThis is where it started for him. It\u2019s where he made his first Finals\u2019 appearance. So, the significance for our team is there and it certainly is there for him.\u201d
When Doncic drilled a three-pointer over Brandon Williams in the first quarter, it gave him 1,500 career threes, making him the youngest player in NBA history to accomplish the feat.
Mavericks fans saw Doncic achieve a lot during his time in Dallas, even leading the team to the NBA Finals in 2024. But have Mavericks fans started to move on?
\u201cLuka\u2019s moved on. And we\u2019ve moved on,\u201d Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. \u201cHe\u2019s playing extremely well. He\u2019s leading the league in scoring (33.4 points per game). He has his team in the hunt. For that, we wish him the best. That\u2019s the business of basketball, you\u2019ve got to move forward.\u201d
The Lakers built a 55-41 lead in the second quarter before settling into a 13-point lead at the half.
But they were outscored 35-14 in the third and went down 87-79 entering the fourth before outscoring Dallas 37-23 in the fourth quarter to win.<\/p>\n