‘Strange’ and ’emotional’: Luka Doncic is Drago

<!–>

As Dallas Mavericks Director General Nico Harrison went through the tunnel before his team played Los Angeles Lakers On Tuesday, fans praised him.

The only thing these fans wore purple and gold.

“Good shop, Nico!” shouted one fan. He added another: “We love you, Nico!”

On Tuesday, for the first time since Harrison shocked the nba world by dealing with Luka Doncic Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis In early February, Doncic played against his former team. As expected, it was an atmosphere of a play.

Harrison was clogged. The devil, in a way, was Davis. While the injured-Davis (SOJ for Adductor) shot before the game, Serbian music broke through through the speakers at Crypto.com Arena, a knife plot for a player in his arrival that spent 5 1/2 season in Los Angeles, helping leading the Lakers to the Championship 2020 (Doncac, of course, happened to warm up at the same time as Davis on the other side of the court.)

All eyes were on Doncic.

Before the game on Tuesday, coach Mavericks Jason Kidd called Doncic “in A game plan, “comparing it to” Picasso “. And after the Lakers’ 107-99 Victory over Mavericks,, Kyrie Irving Admitted that playing against his former teammate was “clumsy as with – t”.

Doncac played with fire, ending with his first triple-double as a laker, including 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. He also had three stolen balls and two blocked shots.

But the experience of playing against his former team just over three weeks after he was completely stunned, honestly, uncomfortable-that the Mavericks were ready to give the 25-year-olds who were widely considered top talents left him to feel exhausted, and mentally and physically.

“The closure will take a while, I mean,” Doncic said. “Not ideal. But, as I said, I’m glad this game is over. There were a lot of emotions.”

Doncic didn’t sleep much ahead of the game on Tuesday. Indeed, the whole February was just a giant whirlwind. The five-time All-Star and the five-time All-NBA player, who led his team to the NBA League final last season, was seemingly the most appropriate for players in all sports in the last few weeks.

His conditioning called into question. Mavericks did something so unprecedented by tearing the superstation of his caliber in his age that it left people to ask themselves what really It happened behind the scenes. Why are Mavericks willing to participate with him in the world?

Kidd hopes that Doncic did not withdraw any of that.

“Sometimes you can’t listen to the noise,” Kidd said. “Big can block the noise and overcome what is true or what may not be true. Everyone has an angle, everyone has a conspiracy theory.”

Kidd said that Doncic “would be one of the best players in the world,” adding that, despite any questions because of his trading, the superstar had well taken over constructive criticism, especially his defense and stepping.

“Sometimes we ask as a coach,” Can you participate in a defensive end? “Kidd said.” And he did it. And he put us in the Western Conference finals (2022), helped us re -reach the Western Conference finals (2024) and then to the finals (2024). Just understanding, can we play faster? And he agreed.

As for the donation, he just put all the criticism on his mental plate. During the Lakers Day, Doncic was negatively chatting about his fitness “motif”, adding, “I know that is not true.”

More than anything, Doncic was focused on trying to find his rhythm after returning from the calf’s stress two weeks ago, which put him aside for 22 games. After the rocky first couple of games with the Lakers, Doncic looked on Sunday as if in a victory over Denver, ending with 32 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. And against Mavericks, with so much pressure on him, he shone again.

The game on Tuesday was a fight, and the result was tied to 91-91 in the middle of the fourth quarter. LeBron James It was taken over in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 of its 27 points in that period to give the Lakers their 15th win in the last 19 games. James-Doncic connection is already exciting and included the exclusion of carving through the straps and interfering with the defense with the passages at the cross-section and glossy finish.

James, who is not a stranger to the emotions of huge games against former teams or high pressure situations, was impressed with the way Doncic acted that everything went on Tuesday.

“They went to the finals, all these things,” James said. “He grew up from an 18, 19-year-old child so far a 25-year-old man with family and all these things. So you somehow grow into a family with a franchise and when you move on or move from you is very emotional.”

As for the donation, the night was just strange.

Doncac said he did not see Harrison (who stood on the field) during heating. But the Lakers fans made sure to show their gratitude for him, singing “Thanks, Nico” while Doncic shot into a free throw. Harrison, of course, is not so popular in Dallas, where Mavericks fans openly grieved the trade by bringing the suitcase to American Airlines Center and retaining the “Fire Nico” sign.

One thing Doncic complained after the game was unusual to play against his former teammates.

“It was simply so strange, moments,” Doncic said. “I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing.”

After the game, Doncic called Irving his “Hermano” or brother in Spanish. And Irving, who considered himself a patron saint for Doncic after trading in Mavericks in February 2023, said he had felt for his former teammate for the last few weeks.

“As a protective big brother, I just watched him from afar, sending him texts, making sure he was good,” said Irving, who had a high 35 points, seven rebounds and four assists. “And when I saw him, I expected that he would be over that hill, as we like to call him, just overcoming rejection or overcoming anger. Sometimes it can lead to hatred. Sometimes it can lead to uncertainty. So I’m proud of him because of the way he just went outside and played. “

The grief process is obviously still fresh for Doncic.

He is not surpassed by everything. In fact, the Mavericks who trades him felt as a form of rejection he had never experienced before. Not even any heart -based ports from unsuccessful relationships could not be compared to Trade.

“That was different,” Doncic admitted.

But on Tuesday he took a big step forward. Continues further. He plays great. And now, the long -awaited and crowded reunion between him and his former team is behind him.

Kidd compared Doncic to the train. No matter how big or stressful the moment was on Tuesday, it disappeared for a moment.

The train continues to move.

And now Doncic has to focus on the next stop.

Melissa Rohlin is NBA writer for Fox Sports. Earlier covered the league for Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Times, News Group for Bay Area and San Antonio Express-nws. Follow her on Twitter @Melisarohlin.

Follow Follow your favorites to personalize your Fox Sports Experience

Luka Doncic

Los Angeles Lakers

National Basketball Association

–>

Get more than the National Basketball Federation Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more