After Luka Doncic led the Lakers to a 107-99 win over his former team on Tuesday — becoming just the third player to record a triple-double against every NBA team in the process — the star point guard’s tone in his postgame press conference wasn’t triumphant.
No, Doncic sounded more relieved than anything.
“It was just a lot of emotions and not a lot of sleep,” he said of the game that came just 3 1/2 weeks after he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to LA. “I can’t even explain [it]. It was a different game. … Sometimes I didn’t know what I was doing.
“And honestly, I’m glad it’s over.”
Doncic, who had 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists to join teammate LeBron James and Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook as the only players to record a triple-double against all 30 teams, didn’t dominate Dallas. He shot 6 of 17 from the field (1 of 7 on 3-pointers), and James himself scored 16 of his 27 points on 7 of 9 shooting in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
But Doncic overcame a night of nerves since Dallas traded him, an emotional hurdle as he dealt with not only being around former teammates with whom he remains friends, but also Mavs general manager Nico Harrison. and coach Jason Kidd.
“It’s definitely going to help me,” Doncic said of leaving the game behind. “It’s definitely going to help in the long run.”
Harrison stood at the midcourt sideline during pregame warmups, though Doncic said he didn’t notice him.
He certainly saw the Mavs bench, directing some of the yelling and staring after making plays for his new team.
“Obviously, there’s a lot of emotion when you give so much to a team and you sacrifice for a team and you have love and respect for a team — throughout their journey,” James said of Doncic. “They’ve been to the Finals, all that stuff. He’s grown from an 18, 19-year-old kid to a 25-year-old man with a family. … And when you go on or they go on, it’s obviously very emotional. It’s very tiring.
“There’s probably a lot of things going through his head that probably don’t even have to do with the game. And with that, I think he handled it wonderfully.”
Mavs guard Kyrie Irving, who led the scoring with 35 points, said the game was “awkward” after facing the same player he teamed with to take Dallas to the Finals last season.
“But,” Irving added, “at the same time, it was fun. We got a chance to feel like we were practicing again and playing against each other. It was a good reflection point. And then just seeing the crowd cheering for him and getting him going.” … It’s fun to play.”
Doncic called Irving his “brother” and said their relationship “goes beyond basketball.”
The teams will play again in Dallas on April 9. Returning to his old hometown will present different challenges for Doncic, emotionally and otherwise. The Mavs are hopeful Anthony Davis, sent from LA to Dallas in the deal, will recover from the left adductor injury he suffered after the trade and be able to play.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said there’s no point in avoiding situations that the schedule presents. While Tuesday was strange for Doncic, Lakers players dealt with mixed emotions of seeing Davis return to the building and receive a standing ovation in the first half as LA played a video tribute to him, then trying to send him away with a loss. The same goes for Max Christie, who was also part of the deal. He He had 10 points and six assists for Dallas and played with the same effort and physicality he did on the Lakers.
You have to accept it,” Redick said. “It’s just a little weird. It’s natural. … It’s actually healthy to just acknowledge it and accept it. And then you play the game and you never have to do it again.”
Or at least the next time Doncic and the Lakers play Dallas, they’ll have more time to establish a new normal.
“I mean, the shutdown is going to take a while, I think,” Doncic said. “It’s not ideal. But, like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There’s a lot of emotion. But we’re taking it one step at a time, and every day is getting better.”
