It wasn't easy, but the Los Angeles Lakers emerged victorious against the Dallas Mavericks last night 107-99 in one of the most anticipated games of the NBA season. All eyes were on Crypto.com Arena as the two recent trade partners met up for the first time with their new rosters, and though the Mavs hung around the entire night and even tied the game in the fourth quarter, in the end, L.A. got a much-needed third straight victory.
The win moved the Lakers to 35-21, the first time all year they've been 14 games over .500. They're just two games behind the Grizzlies and Nuggets for the 2-seed in the West, and only one back in the loss column, but they also have one of the most difficult remaining strengths of schedule in the league.
Last night's game lived up to the hype in nearly every way, so let's dive into three of the biggest things that happened.
Luka Doncic records his first triple-double as a Laker
Luka Doncic may have been a bit nervous in his first game against his former team, and who can blame him? He struggled with his shot for much of the night, even hitting the side of the backboard on one corner three attempt, but the fact that he rebounded that shot and got an easy putback showed just one way he can influence the game even when he's not in the zone.
Doncic stuffed the stat sheet all night, and he ended up with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks. This was his highest single-game rebounding total of the year, and his first triple-double since he hung a 45/11/13 in a win over the Warriors in mid-December.
He went toe-to-toe with former teammate Kyrie Irving, who put up 35 points of his own in the losing effort. Doncic could be seen smiling with Irving during the game, and he called him his "hermano" afterwards. Irving said that it was "fun competing" against Doncic, but characterized the matchup as "awkward as s***."
The first few games of Doncic's Lakers career were underwhelming, but he deserves some grace as he works his way back from a calf injury that kept him out for six weeks. His last two games are just a hint at what he can do, as he preceded this game with a 32-point outing to blow out the Nuggets in Denver on Saturday.
Doncic was clearly emotional during the game, and he picked up a technical foul just three minutes in for arguing a non-foul call after he drove to the basket. He said after the game that he "can't even explain" what was going through his head while he was out there. "I'm just glad it's over, honestly."
Anthony Davis gets a proper tribute
As hyped as this game was, it's nothing compared to what Doncic's Dallas homecoming will be like in April. That's going to be an emotional roller coaster for both the Slovenian star and every Mavs fan.
Last night's game did have a homecoming of its own though, as Anthony Davis was back in the building for the first time since being traded. Unfortunately, AD is still out with the adductor strain he suffered in his first game as a Mav, so *fingers crossed* that April game will be the first time he and Doncic meet since switching teams.
The Lakers played a tribute video for Davis before the game, and it was a fitting sign of respect for someone that helped bring the organization its 17th NBA title, as it mixed on-court highlights, such as the 2020 NBA title and 2023 In-Season Tournament championship, with off-court laughs, such as LeBron James hilariously trying to get AD to understand the words "Rubik's Cube" with noise-canceling headphones on.
Tribute to a Lakers legend: Anthony Davis 💜 pic.twitter.com/IbhmfrGkju
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 26, 2025
The Lakers faithful gave AD a big ovation at the conclusion of the video, but it will be interesting to see how things go if these two teams end up meeting in the postseason.
LeBron James takes over in the fourth quarter vs. Mavericks
The night may have been all about Doncic, but LeBron James was the one that really saved the Lakers' bacon in crunch time. James scored 16 of his 27 points in the final frame, and all but his final three baskets came when the game was either tied or the Lakers led by three or less.
James repeatedly found his way to the rim, where he was able to finish against a Mavericks team that lacked a true rim protector with Davis, Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford all out. He also hit a huge three with 6:31 left to put L.A. back ahead after Klay Thompson tied it with a three of his own on the previous possession.
James has been tearing it up this month, averaging 29 points per game while shooting 46 percent from three. He's even overcome doubts about his defense, with JJ Redick noting after the game that he's been playing at an All-NBA defensive level for six weeks. Without Davis down low to clean up the Lakers' defensive shortcomings, he'll need to keep that up.
The Lakers play at home again on Thursday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are fresh off an emotional win of their own after coming back from 24 down in the fourth to win in overtime at Oklahoma City on Monday. We'll see which team is able to pick themselves up and get one step closer to securing a playoff spot.