What many called the most anticipated game of this NBA season took place on Wednesday when the Los Angeles Lakers visited the Dallas Mavericks. It was Luka Doncic's first time back at American Airlines Center after the Mavs shipped him to L.A. in that humongous trade just over two months ago.
After Doncic got emotional during a video tribute to him that was shown just before the opening tip, he exploded for 45 points in a 112-97 Los Angeles victory. It was a reminder to Mavericks fans of what was taken away from them and another reminder for Lakers fans of what their team now possesses.
Some have suggested that perhaps Doncic hasn't been fully invested in the Lakers emotionally since the trade. But ESPN's Brian Windhorst wrote in an article that Wednesday's game may have changed that (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via ESPN:
“It is counterintuitive, but this was the night when Doncic became a Laker,” Windhorst wrote. “His team totally was devoted to uplifting him and protecting him and rallying around him. It was not a hostile environment, obviously, and that made it feel different than other players in ‘return’ games. But that didn’t mean Doncic wasn’t vulnerable. It was the most vulnerable he has ever been in his basketball career, and he knew it. He knew it in the same way he knew to ask for a towel when the pre-tipoff video started playing because he knew how he would respond to it. And the Lakers collectively experienced a performance that absolutely elevated their bond as a team.
“Doncic is still going to have a temper; he’s still going to curse out referees and fans. But his connection with his team is what changed Wednesday night. He felt it, too, when he told ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the floor after the game, ‘It’s time to move on.’”
When Doncic came out of the game for good late in the fourth quarter, his teammates on the bench led chants of his name. With him becoming the team's main ball-handler and facilitator during halfcourt offensive possessions, an argument could be made that he has become more valuable than even LeBron James.
With a 49-31 record, the Lakers need just one win in their last two games to clinch the third seed in the Western Conference. But while they may have a real shot at getting to the NBA Finals and even winning it all, Windhorst reminded readers that some issues remain.
“The Lakers still have roster challenges, though once again, J.J. Redick had a swarming game plan aimed at crowding Anthony Davis and ignoring less feared players on the ...
