Luka Doncic’s first game back in Dallas since his trade to Los Angeles ended in a dominant 112-97 victory for the Lakers, with Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd offering candid postgame reflections on the night.
The former franchise cornerstone torched his old team for 45 points, helping the Purple and Gold secure a playoff spot with two regular-season games remaining.
Kidd, who coached Doncic during his rise to stardom in Dallas, acknowledged the difficulty of containing the five-time All-Star once he finds rhythm.
“Very difficult,” Kidd said postgame. “He got it going. He made the layups, he made the threes. Whenever he gets going like that, it’s tough to try to take the others away. But he was really good tonight.”
Doncic added eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the performance, matching his season-high in points.
LeBron James contributed 27 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers pulled away after briefly trailing in the second half.
Kidd said he expected an emotional environment, especially after Dallas opened the game with a tribute video that drew tears from Doncic during a timeout.
“It was incredible,” Kidd said. “The fans were great. The tribute was great. Luka’s performance was great. That’s who Luka is… he’s one of the best players in the world. He displayed that again tonight.”
The Slovenian guard spent six and a half seasons with the Mavericks before being traded in February in a blockbuster deal that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.
Despite the emotional weight of Doncic’s return, Kidd emphasized that his focus remains on coaching the players currently in the locker room.
“No,” Kidd said when asked if he regretted the franchise’s decision. “I have a job to do, and that’s to coach the players that are in that locker room… he’s not coming back as a Mav. He’s with the Lakers, and so we have to move forward—and that’s what we’ve done.”
The Mavericks briefly led 87-85 after a third-quarter rally but could not sustain the momentum.
“We thought we were back in the game—I think we took the lead—and then all of a sudden, he appears,” Kidd said. “When you focus so much on Luka, he took advantage of it. He went at the right time, and there was nothing that we could do.”
Doncic’s late-game dominance mirrored his fourth-quarter takeover during the Lakers’ earlier win over Dallas in Los Angeles.
The loss dropped the Mavericks to 38-42, confirming their first losing season since 2018.
Kidd stressed that while Doncic’s brilliance was undeniable, the outcome hinged on the Mavericks’ inability to execute on both ends.
“We’re always going to look at the stars and point them out, but we put ourselves at home against a hot team, and we just couldn’t execute offensively,” Kidd said. “Then we couldn’t get stops on the other end.”
Dallas committed 18 turnovers and was outscored 25-10 over the final eight minutes.
James’s and-one layup with 8:10 left broke an 87-87 tie, sparking a 13-2 Lakers run that closed the door on a comeback.
Austin Reaves finished with 24 points for Los Angeles, while Dorian Finney-Smith added 12.
Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench, helping the Lakers improve to 49-31 and remain third in the Western Conference standings.
Doncic was ejected with 1:12 remaining after receiving a second technical foul for arguing a no-call in transition.
He left the court to a mixed reaction from the Dallas crowd, having delivered one of his most efficient scoring nights since joining Los Angeles.
Kidd admitted the atmosphere aligned with what he anticipated pregame.
“I knew it was going to be an emotional night,” he said. “We were down at half, but we’re in the ballgame, we take the lead, and we just have to clean up a couple things… maybe it’s a different story.”
With the loss, the Mavericks fell to 21-18 at American Airlines Center and are now locked into a Play-In spot.
Kidd pointed to continuity and health as the team’s main priorities heading into the final stretch.
“We’ve gone through the groceries, right? The guys in that locker room—I’ve got to put them in a better position to win, and I just didn’t do that tonight.”
The Lakers clinched home-court advantage in the first round with the win, improving to 35-15 in conference play and 19-21 on the road.
The two teams split the season series 2-2, but Wednesday’s matchup was the most decisive result.
As for how the fanbase should move forward, Kidd deferred the question with a dose of realism.
“I’m not the one cheering or booing,” he said. “Time and winning—that’s what it comes down to.”
