Luka Doncic marked his first game back in Dallas with 45 points, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-97 win over the Mavericks on Wednesday night.
The performance helped Los Angeles (49-31) lock in a postseason berth with two games left in the regular season.
Doncic, who was traded to the Lakers in February, matched his season high while also recording eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals.
The five-time All-Star played his first six and a half seasons with the Mavericks before being moved in a deal that included Anthony Davis going to Dallas.
The 26-year-old was booed during introductions but received a video tribute during the first quarter, which he acknowledged with a wave.
LeBron James added 27 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter when the Lakers pulled away after surrendering a brief Dallas lead.
James’s and-one layup with 8:10 remaining broke an 87-87 tie and ignited a decisive 13-2 run by the Purple and Gold.
The 40-year-old veteran also passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second on the NBA’s all-time regular season games played list, appearing in his 1,561st contest.
Anthony Davis, now with the Mavericks, had 13 points and 11 rebounds in 32 minutes but was largely contained on the offensive end.
Naji Marshall led Dallas (38-42) with 23 points and eight assists as the club dropped its third straight and guaranteed a losing record a year after reaching the NBA Finals.
After trailing by 11 in the third quarter, the home team briefly took an 87-85 lead following a 15-2 run sparked by back-to-back threes from Marshall and Davis.
James then took over, scoring or assisting on four straight possessions to put the game out of reach.
The Lakers shot 46.3 percent from the field and knocked down 18 threes at a 45 percent clip.
Austin Reaves chipped in 24 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while Dorian Finney-Smith added 12 for Los Angeles.
Jaxson Hayes contributed seven points and six rebounds, and Jarred Vanderbilt led all players with 12 boards off the bench.
Doncic was ejected with 1:12 left after picking up his second technical foul for arguing a no-call in transition.
He exited to a mix of cheers and jeers, finishing his return with his most efficient scoring night since joining the Lakers.
Dallas shot just 42.5 percent from the floor and committed 18 turnovers, leading to 23 points for the visitors.
With the win, the Lakers remained third in the West, behind Oklahoma City and Houston, and secured home-court advantage in the first round.
The teams split the season series 2-2, though Wednesday’s game marked the most lopsided result.
The Mavericks fell to 21-18 at home, their worst home record since 2017–18.
The Lakers improved to 35-15 in conference play and 19-21 on the road with the victory.
