Austin Reaves says he’s never seen anything like Luka Doncic’s first game back in Dallas after the trade. On ‘The Young Man & The Three,’ the Lakers guard described how Mavericks fans turned on their own GM and fueled Doncic to put on a show.
“The first game we played in Dallas after that, I will never in my career see anything like that,” Reaves said. “They fouled Luka in the first two minutes of the game. I don’t know if it was ‘Fire Nico’ or ‘F*ck Nico’ but it was from tip-off to the end of the game, just going crazy.
Doncic was traded to the Lakers in February and his first game against the Mavericks came a few months later (April 9th). It was a moment of revenge for Doncic and everyone was rooting for him to make a statement against the team that traded him/
“He went crazy and we were like ‘Please go to 70, please go kill.’ I remember I told JJ at the end of the third and he subbed Luka out and I went ‘Just put him back in, he’s going to win us the game and he’s going to have 50 and it’s going to be great for the team.’ The way he did it and the way everybody was there for it, it was really good for us,” added Reaves.
Mavericks fans had to watch on in grief as their former star went off on them for the 112-97 win. Luka dropped 45 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in the emotional comeback, helping secure a playoff spot for the Lakers. Meanwhile, the Mavericks were coasting toward mediocrity due to an inconsistent roster riddled with injuries.
That game, more than any other that season, showed just how much things changed for Luka Doncic and the two teams involved. In Dallas, the fans are still not over the trade and many were actively rooting for his success in his first game back. The environment was hostile, but directed more toward GM Nico Harrison than Luka. What followed only made things worse.
The Lakers ended the season third in the West and put up a respectable fight in the first round against the Timberwolves. It was far from the best results, but further than the Mavericks and enough for Los Angeles to believe in their chances going forward. Now, with Luka Doncic in better shape and itching to prove himself, nothing is stopping the Lakers from reaching greater heights in the West.
For the Mavericks, meanwhile, pressure is building to justify the trade and prove they made the right decision. With conditioning problems still a theme among their stars, the only way to silence the doubters is by winning when it matters most.
That night in Dallas will stick with Luka and the Lakers for a long time. The boos rained down on Nico Harrison, the crowd stayed loud from start to finish, and every basket from Luka felt bigger than the last. He walked out with the win, his teammates rallied behind him, and it felt like the first true sign that his future in Los Angeles is only getting brighter.
