Luka Doncic described his second return to Dallas as “obviously there’s always going to be emotions” after the Lakers rallied past the Mavericks 116-110 on Saturday night.
“I was happy to be back here. I went to my house, saw my cars. Obviously it’s always going to be emotional,” Doncic said, noting the support from fans during his introduction.
Reflecting on his years in Dallas, Doncic added, “I was here seven years, spent a lot of things happen, bad and good. It’s always going to be a special place for me.”
The win carried added weight for the Slovenian guard, who acknowledged the personal stakes. “I always want to win every game. But obviously this one’s a little bit different,” he said.
Doncic admitted his emotions were still present compared to his first game back. “It was still emotions, trust me, but a little bit better, a little bit easier for me. The fans accepting me here is unbelievable,” he said.
The star point guard also shared a lighter moment about postgame confusion and walking to the wrong locker room. “I didn’t see that,” he joked.
On fan support during challenging weather, Doncic praised the turnout. “That was really special. I didn’t know what to expect before. I really appreciate a lot of people showing up,” he said.
Doncic acknowledged head coach JJ Redick’s message about ball movement and passing. “Yeah, everybody had a great game. The ball was shared with 15 shots up. So I took JJ’s point,” he said.
The Slovenian also described the decisive drive in the fourth quarter that helped seal the win. “I would say the charge for sure. I enjoyed the charge more. But the bucket, I heard the bench talking about travel. There was no travel. It was two steps,” Doncic said.
He explained the Lakers’ momentum shift in the final quarter. “We got it was pretty bad third quarter for us. They scored a lot of points, and we didn’t score 14. During the fourth quarter, we were playing aggressive defense. So that’s how we got back,” Doncic said.
Reflecting on the emotional resonance and his performance, Doncic reinforced the importance of the game. “It’s always going to be a special place. Every time I come back, I feel good. It’s special for me,” he said.
The Lakers improve to 26-17 with the win, while Dallas falls to 19-26 as Doncic continues his perfect 4-0 record against his former team.
