One of the most anticipated games of the 2024-25 NBA season was the homecoming of Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic to Dallas. On Wednesday, Doncic played against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, and led his new team to a 112-97 victory. The All-Star guard impressed the fans by showing off what he used to do in front of them and scored 45 points on 57.1 percent from the field.
In addition to his high-scoring game, Doncic had eight rebounds, six assists and four steals against the Mavericks. His co-star, LeBron James, added 27 points on the night as he shot 11-for-20 from the field. Their win improved their record to 49-31, putting them in the third spot in the Western Conference.
Doncic received a warm welcome from the fans, who have not forgotten his contributions during his six-and-a-half-year stay in Dallas. The five-time All-NBA star teared up when he watched the video tribute the organization dedicated for him before tip-off.
Following the game, his teammate, Dorian Finney-Smith, had a moment of reflection on the welcome he received on his return. Finney-Smith was also a part of the Mavericks organization and had the chance to play with Doncic early in his career.
“Well deserved… I was sitting in that locker room when we were struggling, I would say tanking to get him. And I saw the transformation back into being a winning culture due to him. Obviously I’d say I had a little part in that, but Luka being Luka, he brought the excitement back to Dallas,” the Los Angeles Lakers forward said.
DFS on what it meant to see Luka get love in his return to Dallas:
"Well deserved… I was sitting in that locker room when we were struggling, I would say tanking to get him. And I saw the transformation back into being a winning culture due to him. Obviously I'd say I had a…
— Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) April 10, 2025
The two-way forward played seven seasons for the Mavericks and averaged 8.3 points and 4.6 rebounds. He was one of the best 3-and-D players for Dallas during Doncic’s time with them.
The Los Angeles Lakers star revealed the moment that got him to tear up
The Los Angeles Lakers star couldn’t contain his emotions while watching the video tribute. As he was sitting on the bench watching the homage video, he was filmed wiping his tears off. After securing the win, Doncic revealed the moment that got him to tears.
According to the five-time All-Star, the moments he had with the team during the Western Conference finals were what pushed his emotions.
“We were the underdogs in every series. The way we came together, played together. The way we came together, played together it was just another level,” Doncic said.
Luka Dončić said the moment that got him emotional during the tribute video was the shot in the Western Conference Finals.
“We were the underdogs in every series. The way we came together, played together. The way we came together, played together it was just another level.” pic.twitter.com/p8twYrCd0I
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) April 10, 2025
The Mavericks entered the 2024 NBA Playoffs as the fifth seed. Leading up to the conference finals, the team matched up against the third-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. However, the brilliance of Doncic led the team past the much-favored squad through five games.
He averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists during the series leading up to the NBA Finals.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
