NBA Insiders: Luka Doncic’s Emotional Return to Dallas
Apr 9, 2025, 10:26 PM ET
When the Dallas Mavericks made the shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2, the immediate question on every fan’s mind was, “When do the Lakers next play in Dallas?” The answer was April 9, marking a nine-week wait for what would become one of the most anticipated regular-season games of the year.
While the Mavericks had already faced Doncic and his new team on March 1, resulting in a 109-104 Lakers victory, the game on Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center was the league’s must-see event of the second half. Doncic, the crowd in Dallas, and both teams rose to the occasion, with the Mavericks’ former star reminding his old franchise why fans held protests and even a symbolic funeral after the trade.
Doncic delivered a stellar performance, scoring 45 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists, leading the Lakers to a 112-97 win and clinching a playoff spot for Los Angeles. Following an emotional pregame introduction, Doncic poured in 31 first-half points, with the crowd erupting with each touch.
From the electrifying atmosphere inside the arena to the Mavericks’ offseason plans and the implications of this victory for the Lakers’ playoff chances, our ESPN insiders tackle the biggest questions from Doncic’s first game back in Dallas.
1. The atmosphere in Dallas on Wednesday was _______
Emotional, electrifying, and extremely awkward at times. Tears flowed down Doncic’s cheeks as the Mavericks’ tribute video for him played before his turn in pregame introductions. He’s still clearly getting over the heartbreak after suddenly being shipped away from the city he hoped would be his NBA home forever.
That sentiment was shared by the vast majority of folks who filled American Airlines Center, including Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki, who attended his first Dallas home game since the Doncic trade. (The only other NBA game Nowitzki has watched in person since Feb. 1? His buddy Doncic’s Lakers debut in Los Angeles.)
- A small percentage of the fans wore the white giveaway T-shirts with “Hvala za vse” — thanks for everything, in Slovenian — printed on the front.
- Many more sported Doncic’s No. 77 jerseys, from Mavs to Slovenia to Lakers editions.
- Others donned shirts expressing their frustration with Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, the man primarily responsible for Doncic’s undesired departure.
“Fire Nico!” chants were frequent, beginning with the first dead ball four seconds after the opening tip as Harrison stood in a midcourt tunnel. On the other hand, Doncic was showered with love and adoration as he lit up the franchise he hoped he’d belong to forever. — Tim MacMahon
2. The biggest lesson to take away from this game is ____
It is counterintuitive, but this was the night when Doncic became a Laker. His team was totally devoted to uplifting him, protecting him, and rallying around him. It was not a hostile environment, obviously, and that made it feel different than other players in “return” games. But that didn’t mean Doncic wasn’t vulnerable. It was the most vulnerable he has ever been in his basketball career, and he knew it. He knew it in the same way he knew to ask for a towel when the pre-tipoff video started playing because he knew how he would respond to it. And the Lakers collectively experienced a performance that absolutely elevated their bond as a team.
Doncic is still going to have a temper; he’s still going to curse out referees and fans. But his connection with his team is what changed Wednesday night. He felt it, too, when he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the floor after the game, “It’s time to move on.”
The Lakers still have roster challenges, though once again, JJ Redick had a swarming game plan aimed at crowding Anthony Davis and ignoring less feared players on the perimeter that helped cover up L.A.’s size issues. And just because the Lakers had this memorable evening, doesn’t mean they’re headed for a storybook ending.
But it was potentially a foundational moment to build from, one that could be remembered as a crucial building block to bigger moments in the Lakers’ future. — Brian Windhorst
3. Luka’s performance in Dallas was _____
Everything we could have hoped. Capturing the moment, Doncic shifted quickly from shedding tears to raining 3s. He had three makes from beyond the arc in each of the first two quarters en route to 31 points, his most in a half with the Lakers.
Doncic’s scoring pace predictably slowed after halftime. That showcased the value of his partnership with LeBron James, who tallied 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers opened up a double-digit lead. Down the stretch, Doncic took over again, scoring seven consecutive points for L.A. starting at the 3:30 mark, before leaving to a standing ovation with 45 points.
Doncic needed just 28 shot attempts, plus nine foul shots, to get there. Add in 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals, and Doncic’s 48.1 game score was his second highest this season, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Mavericks fans have witnessed so many of these incandescent performances from Doncic, making it bittersweet to see one in his return. Per ESPN Research, Doncic joined Wilt Chamberlain (1964-65 campaign) as just the second player in NBA history to score at least 45 points both for and against the same team in the same season. — Kevin Pelton
4. The biggest offseason priorities for Dallas are ____
Getting back a healthy Kyrie Irving, using their lottery pick, and, once again, exploring trades. Other than the veterans minimum exception, Dallas does not have money to spend in free agency. What it does have is three first-round picks and 12 players earning between $2 million and $16 million available to trade.
Is that enough to potentially bring in Kevin Durant to team up with Irving and Anthony Davis? Because the Mavs are projected to be a first apron team, they would need to trade at least four players and still remain below the apron — a tall task considering Irving, Durant, and Davis would earn a combined $150 million.
But Nico Harrison has a track record of big moves; the roster that finishes the 2025-26 season could look very different than the one in October. Since taking over basketball operations in June 2021, Harrison has made 16 trades and has continually searched for the right combination of players to win a championship. The lone players remaining from the Mavs’ 2022 Western Conference finals team are Dwight Powell and Spencer Dinwiddie. — Bobby Marks
5. In the playoffs, the Doncic-led Lakers can go ______
As far as their offense takes them. When Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves share the court, the Lakers score a scorching 119.5 points per 100 possessions, which ranks in the 83rd percentile of all lineups leaguewide, per Cleaning the Glass. But that trio allows an even higher 121.8 points per 100 possessions, which ranks in the 8th percentile.
Despite a midseason surge and better defensive effort, the new-look Lakers are unlikely to actually slow down the best opposing offenses in the playoffs. But if Doncic, James, and Reaves can all click together, particularly as they gain more experience playing off each other, they’ll make up all those points and more on the other end.
The playoff bracket could end up favoring the Lakers, who are the favorites to land the West’s No. 3 seed and therefore won’t have to face the Thunder until the conference finals. But at the same time, potential first-round matchups against the Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, or Timberwolves could prove challenging.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Lakers lose in the first round, because the West is so stuffed with dangerous teams up and down the playoff field. But it also wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Lakers win a series, then knock off an inexperienced Rockets squad in the second round, and even challenge the Thunder — whom L.A. blew out in Oklahoma City on Sunday then pushed in a competitive game Tuesday — during the conference finals.
A team with two of the best players in the league is inherently an NBA Finals contender, especially when they’re both such dynamic creators with ample experience tormenting playoff defenses. — Zach Kram
Originally Written by: NBA insiders
