Luka Doncic's First Game Against Dallas Mavericks Since Trade - Los Angeles Lakers Take the Win Despite Kyrie Irving's Phenomenal Performance

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Feb 26, 2025, 12:39 IST

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Luka Doncic faced his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, for the first time since his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers and helped secure a win with a triple-double. Despite Kyrie Irving leading the scoring, the Lakers prevailed with strong performances from Doncic and LeBron James. The Lakers fans appreciated Doncic's efforts, indicating a promising future for the new duo.

Luka Doncic's First Game Against Dallas Mavericks Since Trade - Los Angeles Lakers Take the Win Despite Kyrie Irving's Phenomenal Performance

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving via YouTube/ House of Highlights

The Los Angeles Lakers welcomed the Dallas Mavericks to their home arena in Crypto.com for the first time since Luka Doncic was traded in. The ex cornerstone of the Dallas Mavericks one day woke up to the news that he had been traded out of a place he once considered his home. But since then, he has seamlessly made the transition to become a player that represents the team in gold and purple with pride. And the latest game between the Lakers and Mavs was a step forward in that direction.

LA Lakers get the win over the Dallas Mavericks

Los Angeles was buzzing with the Mavs coming to town for the first time since Luka Doncic joined the Lakers. And he was in great shape, scoring 19 points in 35 minutes. He also made 15 rebounds and 12 assists, making sure to gave his best for his new team. LeBron James was the top scorer for the Lakers, with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. Speaking about the game, Doncic said:
"I don’t know how to explain it. I think the first quarter, second quarter, I didn’t know what was happening. It was just different."

Facing your old team for the first time can be daunting at times, but seems like Luka did pretty well for himself. Despite a neck-to-neck competition, even until most of the fourth quarter, the Lakers sealed the deal with a 16-8 score in the last 6 minutes of the game.

Despite being the top scorer, Kyrie Irving could not get the result he hoped for

While it was the Lakers who took the win in the game, the top scorer was not a Laker. Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks had the highest score of the game with 35 points in 40 minutes, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. But Doncic's first triple-double with the Lakers made sure that the top scorer's team did not go home with the win.

And to take it to another notch, Dallas GM Nico Harrison and other Mavs players got to hear the Lakers fans chant "Thank you Nico" over and over throughout the game, but especially after. The duo of Luka Doncic and LeBron James is looking more and more dangerous by the minute, and we cannot wait to see what more they bring to the table.
Also Read: LeBron James shares Los Angeles Lakers plans amid Luka Doncic’s adjusting period: “He’s definitely priority number one”

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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