Although Luka Doncic speaks four languages, he struggled for the words to express just how strange it was to play against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Just 23 days after his world was upended by Dallas’ shocking decision to trade him, Doncic was on the Los Angeles Lakers’ home court to face those same Mavs. His feelings of betrayal and uncertainty were still fresh, and they affected a performance that was inconsistent, occasionally brilliant and altogether fraught with anxiety.
“It was just a lot of emotions I was feeling,” Doncic said of their 107-99 victory. “I can’t even explain. It was a different game. Sometimes, I don’t know what I was doing. I’m just glad it’s over, honestly.”
Photo: AP
Doncic’s game was all over the place — just like his head.
He posted his first triple-double in a Lakers uniform, but he also missed 11 of his 17 shots and was wild from three-point range. He made a dozen sublime passes and at least that many big defensive plays, yet he could only score two points in the fourth quarter of a tight game.
“It was so weird,” Doncic said. “There were moments I felt like I don’t know what I was doing. I’m glad we got a win.”
Fortunately for Doncic, he now has LeBron James for a teammate — and the top scorer in NBA history simply would not let him lose.
In that fourth quarter, the Lakers’ eager fans saw another glimpse of what Doncic and James could become. James took over the game, scoring 16 of his 27 points in the final period — including three key buckets on passes from Doncic to cap his superb playmaking performance.
“We understood as his teammates that we wanted to try to get this win for him,” James said. “Obviously, we know what transpired not too long ago. As his teammates, we wanted just to back him in any way, shape or form.”
Elsewhere, the Memphis Grizzlie mauled the Phoenix Suns 151-148, the Boston Celtics outplayed the Toronto Raptors 111-101, the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Orlando Magic 122-82, the Houston Rockets survived the Milwaukee Bucks 100-97, the New Orleans Pelicans overpowered the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 and the Golden State Warriors swatted the Charlotte Hornets 128-92.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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