Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic delivered an emotional yet dominant performance as the Los Angeles Lakers secured a playoff spot with a 112-97 win over his former team, the Dallas Mavericks.
In his first return to Dallas since a blockbuster mid-season trade in February, Doncic dropped 45 points, along with eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The Mavericks honoured the Slovenian star with a pre-game tribute video and fans were handed T-shirts reading “Hvala za vse” — Slovenian for “Thank you for everything.”
Moved to tears before tip-off, Doncic received a warm ovation from the Dallas crowd, but quickly shifted gears on the court, scoring 13 points in the first quarter and 31 by halftime.
“Everybody saw me, the way I reacted to the video,” Doncic told ESPN. “All these fans, I really appreciate it. All the team-mates I had, everybody had my back. I’m just happy.”
Doncic spent six-and-a-half seasons with the Mavericks and now looks to lead the Lakers deep into the playoffs.