Luka Dončić's High-Energy Finish Leads Lakers to 15-Point Comeback Against Mavericks
DALLAS — It would have been a safe bet that Luka Dončić would have hit his 1,500th career three-point shot and played his 17,000th minute in Dallas. Until a year ago, no one could have imagined he'd do those things in a Lakers uniform against the Mavericks. In his second game ever as an opponent in the American Airlines Center, Dončić became the youngest player ever to make 1,500 threes, besting Jayson Tatum by 32 days.
However, the way things ended in his second trip back as a Lakers player was going to overshadow any accomplishment. Instead of it being about Dončić, it was about the Lakers, sprinting back into a game they nearly coughed up. The Lakers came back from down 15 with less than eight minutes to play to beat the Mavericks 116-110, with Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, and Jake LaRavia making as many big plays as Dončić down the stretch.
The Lakers have now beaten Dallas in each of the four games the two teams have played since the trade. Dončić, despite the loss, expressed his emotions, saying, "There were still emotions, trust me. But a little bit better, a little bit easier for me."
The Lakers scored a season-low 14 points in the third quarter, going scoreless over a four-minute stretch where they either turned the ball over or missed a layup on nine consecutive offensive possessions. Dallas flipped the game, playing all the energy and momentum while the Lakers couldn't even get the ball to the basket for a shot attempt. Their 13-point lead had vanished, and with it, a chance to win.
But in the fourth quarter, when things were bleakest, the Lakers again found their energy on both ends of the court. Dončić sealed the win with a magical side-stepping layup immediately followed by a drawn charge. He finished with 33 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists, following JJ Redick's instructions to trust the pass. Redick praised Dončić's performance, saying, "Luka wants to win, and so I’m not surprised that he responded."
Four Lakers scored at least seven points in the fourth, led by 11 from LeBron James. Hachimura made back-to-back threes, Smart got a key steal and scored on an and-1, and Dončić dominated on both ends of the court, getting six straight stops on plays where the Mavericks targeted him in the fourth. His only hiccup came at halftime when he briefly walked towards the Mavericks' locker room before turning around and heading off in the opposite direction.
Dončić, despite the Mavericks' organization wanting to look ahead, still had a special connection with the crowd. They cheered for him as he was introduced first with the visiting starters and even chanted MVP at one point in the first half while he shot free throws. The crowd's support was evident, even if the Mavericks as an organization want to look ahead.
Asked pregame if he wishes he could have stopped the trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers, coach Jason Kidd said, "I think it’s one year. Next year will be two years. After that, it’ll be three. We’ll just keep counting. Luka’s moved on, and we’ve moved on."
Dončić, reflecting on his return to Dallas, said, "I was happy to be back here. I went to my house. I saw my cars. But, obviously, it’s always going to be emotions. I really appreciate how they cheered for me when I was introduced. It’s always going to be a special place for me."
The game took place in front of a mostly full crowd, surprisingly due to a combination of rain, sleet, ice, and snow that had flights cancelled and roads in the region mostly empty because of safety concerns. ABC/ESPN’s Lisa Salters, originally slated to work the game as a sideline reporter, didn’t make it to Dallas because of weather-related travel issues.
