Luka Dončić gets his revenge vs. Mavericks, but 'closure is going to take a while'

It would be easy for Luka Dončić to call Tuesday’s game cathartic—to say that facing and defeating his former team was enough to wash away the sting of being traded, of feeling discarded.

It would be easy to imagine that every "Thank you, Nico" chant from Lakers fans filled him with a sense of belonging—that the love from his new home made up for the shock of leaving Dallas. But with Anthony Davis receiving a warm tribute video on the same night, the emotions remained complicated.

Closure doesn’t come that easily. And it won’t come in a few weeks, either, when Dončić makes his first trip back to Dallas in a Lakers jersey.

“The closure is going to take a while, I think,” Dončić admitted. “It’s not ideal. But, like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There were a lot of emotions. It will go, little by little. Every day is better.”

For the Lakers, this transition will be a slow process, too. They’ve spent the season building a defensive identity, finding ways to maximize LeBron James’ effectiveness, and now they must integrate Dončić’s immense talent with just two months left before the playoffs.

Dončić’s triple-double—19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists—was likely just the first of many in purple and gold. His energy set the tone early, while James took over late, sealing a 107-99 win in an emotionally charged battle at Crypto.com Arena. The crowd buzzed, anticipating a Dončić eruption—a performance fueled by weeks of frustration, speculation, and hurt.

But if anything, he seemed too hyped. Before tipoff, Dončić was doing push-ups during his shooting routine, while Mavericks GM Nico Harrison sat unbothered on the opposite side of the court, coolly watching the pregame festivities in an electric blue suit.

The anticipated fireworks never quite ignited. While Dončić exchanged some words with the Mavericks bench after a pair of early buckets, he stayed composed. His performance wasn’t a masterpiece—more of a workmanlike effort than the “Picasso” painting that Kidd had described.

LeBron, a veteran of high-stakes, emotionally charged matchups, understood the weight of the moment for Dončić. But unlike Dončić, James has never been the one left behind—he’s always been the one making the choice to move on.

All the Lakers could do was create a support system around Dončić, insulating him from the lingering emotions. Head coach JJ Redick acknowledged how strange the night felt but encouraged everyone to embrace the discomfort.

“I thought he handled it well,” Redick said. “Not a great shooting night, but he made a lot of plays. I just thought he was clearly worked up to start the game. That’s expected, but I thought he settled in.”

It wasn’t a perfect performance, but Dončić got through it. The wounds of his departure from Dallas are still fresh, and the healing won’t happen overnight. But for now, he can take comfort in the fact that the first step is behind him.