Luka Dončić has taken a bit of time to get into his groove after shockingly being moved by the Dallas Mavericks earlier this month. But on Saturday night, Dončić showed everyone exactly how much of an impact he can play in Los Angeles with his best game with the organization to date.
In his first three games with the organization, Dončić averaged just 14.6 points per game while shooting just 35 percent from the field.
On paper, Saturday’s matchup against the Denver Nuggets was set to be a difficult one for the Lakers and Dončić, as the Lakers came into the game losing 13 of their last 14 games against the Nuggets.
Dončić came out firing early and often on Saturday night, putting together a vintage performance with 32 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. More importantly, the Lakers thoroughly dominated the Nuggets, coming away with a 123-100 victory.
LUKA DONČIĆ DOMINATES SATURDAY PRIMETIME!
⭐️ 32 PTS (most as a Laker)
⭐️ 10 REB
⭐️ 7 AST
⭐️ 4 STL
⭐️ W pic.twitter.com/V3MGNibQmJ— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2025
After the game, Dončić spoke with ESPN’s Lisa Salters about his career-best game as a Laker this far, detailing how he is finally starting to feel like himself as he gets accustomed to playing with his new teammates.
“You have been smiling all night long,” said Salters. “What felt better tonight?”
“Just finally feeling like myself a little bit,” replied Dončić. “Playing this game, this is what I love. Just finally being myself a little bit. That’s why I was smiling the whole game.”
“Finally being myself a little bit.”
Luka was FULL of smiles during his 32-point night! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/v5D03Km0hj
— NBA (@NBA) February 23, 2025
Getting traded to another team is always an adjustment for every player. But you could argue that playing alongside someone like LeBron James takes even longer to get used to given the obvious expectations placed on him to perform right away.
Beating a fellow Western Conference contender impressively as they did on Saturday night clearly shows what this Lakers team is capable of when they are firing on all cylinders. And for Dončić, it has to feel good to prove his doubters wrong who have tirelessly critiqued his weight and his motivation to play basketball after being traded by the Mavericks.
Next, Dončić will have the chance to make an even bigger statement when he faces off against his former team, the Mavericks, on Tuesday, a game that will certainly have the spotlight given just how shocking the Mavericks-Lakers trade was in the first place.
