Lakers' Luka Doncic relieved first game vs. Mavs is behind him

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic led the Lakers to a 107-99 victory over his former team on Tuesday, becoming just the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double against every franchise. However, in his postgame press conference, the star guard didn’t sound triumphant—he sounded relieved.

“There were just a lot of emotions and not much sleep,” Doncic said, reflecting on the game that took place only 3½ weeks after his trade from the Dallas Mavericks to Los Angeles. “I can’t even explain it. It was a different game… Sometimes I didn’t even know what I was doing. And honestly, I’m just glad it’s over.”

Doncic finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists, joining LeBron James and Russell Westbrook as the only players to log a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams. However, he didn’t dominate his former squad, shooting just 6-for-17 from the field and 1-for-7 from three. Instead, it was James who took control late, scoring 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Beyond the stats, Doncic had to navigate the emotional challenge of facing former teammates, as well as Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd.

“This will definitely help me,” Doncic said. “It’s going to help in the long run.”

Harrison was spotted on the sideline during warmups, though Doncic claimed he didn’t notice. He was, however, well aware of the Mavericks’ bench, directing shouts and stare-downs their way throughout the game.

James empathized with Doncic’s emotions, acknowledging the difficulty of moving on from a franchise he had given so much to.

“There’s a lot of emotion when you sacrifice for a franchise and have that type of love and respect for it,” James said. “He went to the Finals with them. He grew from an 18-, 19-year-old kid to a 25-year-old man with a family. When you move on—or they move on from you—it’s very emotional and taxing.

“It’s probably a lot of things going through his head that had nothing to do with the game itself. But with that said, I thought he handled it tremendously.”

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who led all scorers with 35 points, described the matchup as “awkward as s---” after going up against the player who helped lead Dallas to the Finals last season.

“But at the same time, it was fun,” Irving added. “It felt like we were in practice again, going at each other. Seeing the crowd cheer for him and get him going—it was fun competing.”

Doncic called Irving his “hermano” and emphasized that their bond goes “way beyond basketball.”

The two teams will meet again in Dallas on April 9, where Doncic will face another emotional challenge in returning to his former home arena. The Mavericks are hopeful that Anthony Davis, who was sent to Dallas in the trade, will be back from the left adductor strain he suffered post-trade.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick acknowledged the difficulty of navigating such an emotional night. The Lakers players had to contend with seeing Davis—who received a standing ovation and a tribute video—back in the building, while also focusing on beating their former teammate. The same applied to facing Max Christie, another player sent to Dallas in the deal, who contributed 10 points and six assists.

“You just have to embrace it,” Redick said. “It’s weird. It just naturally is. But it’s actually healthy to acknowledge it, embrace it, and then play the game. And after that, you don’t have to do it again.”

For Doncic, closure won’t come overnight.

“It’s going to take a while,” he admitted. “It’s not ideal. But like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There were a lot of emotions. But we take it little by little, and every day gets better.”

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.