DALLAS — Luka Doncic made a triumphant return to Dallas on Wednesday night, dazzling fans with a 45-point performance that helped the Los Angeles Lakers secure a 112-97 victory over the Mavericks, thus clinching their spot in the playoffs. This was Doncic’s first appearance in Dallas since being traded to the Lakers, and it was marked by a compelling and emotional display on the court.
The surprising trade brought Doncic to Los Angeles two months ago, sending shockwaves through the league. A former face of the Mavericks’ franchise, the Slovenian star enjoyed a fruitful 5 1/2-year stint in Dallas and still had two years remaining on his existing contract when he was traded. In his latest performance, Doncic replicated his season-high point tally—it was a score he achieved once before for Dallas and matched for the Lakers. Alongside his 45 points, Doncic contributed eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
LeBron James also shone brightly, scoring 13 out of his total 27 points during the fourth quarter. His efforts helped the Lakers regain control of the game after momentarily falling behind. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis, who switched teams as part of the Doncic trade, scored 13 points and collected 11 rebounds for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall stood out for Dallas, leading the team with 23 points and eight assists.
The Lakers maintained their third position in the Western Conference standings, completing their third game in a span of four days. They had previously divided match results in Oklahoma City, the current conference leaders. As for the Mavericks, their current record of 38-42 ensures a losing season, a far cry from their NBA Finals appearance the previous year. Nevertheless, the team is vying for a spot in the play-in tournament, potentially finishing in 10th place.
A critical moment came with 8:10 remaining in the game when James executed a three-point play, breaking an 87-87 tie and giving the Lakers a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. His subsequent layup shortly afterward capped a resurgence by the Lakers following a strong 15-2 run by Dallas.
James’ appearance marked his 1,561st regular-season game, allowing him to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and claim the second spot on the NBA’s all-time games list. Only Robert Parrish, with 1,611 games, surpasses the 40-year-old James. Impressively, this was James’ 418th game with the Lakers, complementing his previous 849 games with Cleveland and 294 with Miami.
Both teams are scheduled to close out their regular-season home games on Friday night. The Mavericks will face Toronto, while the Lakers are set to host Houston.