LOS ANGELES — There’s a saying: “Play with emotion. Don’t let emotion play with you.”
Luka Dončić nearly lost control in the first half of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 107-99 victory Tuesday over the Dallas Mavericks.
It was the first time Dončić played against his former team after the trade that sent him to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis. With Davis out due to injury, the contest was solely Dončić’s revenge game.
It didn’t take long before Dončić earned an early technical foul after sharing his displeasure over a no-call with an official.
“I don’t know,” Dončić said when asked how he handled his emotions throughout the day. “They’re weird moments. I didn’t know what I was doing and I’m just glad we got a win.”
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Lakers coach JJ Redick mentioned before the game that he hoped Dončić would be able to balance his emotions throughout the evening. The coach admitted after the game he felt Dončić was going through it in the first half before managing to settle in.
“Honestly, I don’t even remember,” Dončić said. “There were a lot of emotions and not much sleep. I can’t even explain it. It was just a different game. … I’m just glad it’s over.”
Dončić shook off some of that early frustration with the referee and channeled it toward the Mavericks’ bench.
“I think with him, he is at his best when he has that balance of joy and playfulness and that killer mentality,” Redick said during his pregame availability. “Just perfectly living in the moment of competition and he will find that tonight.”
LeBron James praised Dončić for how he handled his emotions. James has been in similar situations throughout his career, playing against his former team and teammates.
“He handled them as well as you can,” James said. “There’s a lot of emotions that go into it when you give so much to a franchise and sacrifice so much for a franchise.”
The Slovenian player began his seventh season with the Mavericks in late October before he was traded in early February.
Dončić was playing quarterback again late Tuesday when he threw the ball from just in front of the half-court line, completing a pass to James under the basket. James slammed the ball down to give the Lakers a 96-91 lead with 4:05 left in the final period.
“That was really big,” Dončić said. “For him to do that and 40 years old and take over the game, it was unbelievable to watch.”
The Lakers continued to bring fans to their feet with three consecutive dunks from former Maverick Dorian Finney-Smith, forward Rui Hachimura and James.
The duo of James and Dončić connected one more time for a James layup, leaving a smile on the guard’s face.