In Luka Doncic’s first matchup against his previous team, he delivered an outstanding performance with a triple-double, guiding the Lakers to victory over the Mavericks. Returning to Dallas for the first time since his controversial trade to Los Angeles, Doncic achieved a season-high of 45 points in this nail-biting 112-97 win, which secured the Lakers a playoff spot.

It was a night filled with emotion for Doncic, who nearly broke down in tears while watching a tribute video honoring his contributions to the Mavericks prior to the game’s start. The 26-year-old had spent five and a half seasons with Dallas and still had two years remaining on his contract.

Doncic began the game strong, scoring 31 points on 11-of-16 shooting by halftime, leading the Lakers 60-57. He ended up scoring 14 additional points in the second period, matching his career best. He previously surpassed 45 points twice this season: once with the Mavericks in December and again with the Lakers in March. Doncic holds the record for the Mavericks’ single-game high score, netting 73 points in January 2024.

However, he fell short of breaking the record for the highest points scored by an NBA player in their first away game against their former team, held by John Williamson, who scored 50 points for the Nets against the Pacers back in 1978.

As the game wrapped up, the Mavericks fans acknowledged Doncic’s contribution with a standing ovation and chants of “fire Nico,” directed at Dallas’s general manager, Nico Harrison, due to their displeasure over his trade to LA.

In addition to his scoring, Doncic accumulated eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals throughout the match. He has managed to average 27.8 points across 27 games with the Lakers (49-31), currently placing them third in the Western Conference standings.

LeBron James contributed with 13 of his 27 points during a critical stretch in the fourth quarter when the Lakers faced adversity before rallying back. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis, who was traded to Dallas in the Doncic swap, recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds. Naji Marshall led the Mavericks with 23 points and eight assists.

Dallas’s disappointing record of 38-42 guarantees them a losing season, following last year’s NBA Finals appearance. Nevertheless, the Mavericks still have the chance to reach the play-in tournament by finishing in the 10th position.

James’s latest game marked the 1,561st game of his regular-season career, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second place in the NBA rankings, with only Robert Parish ahead at 1,611 games. This marks James’s 418th game across seven seasons with the Lakers, after playing 849 games with Cleveland and 294 with Miami.

Both teams will conclude their regular-season home games on Friday night, with the Mavericks facing Toronto, while the Lakers will host Houston.