Luka Doncic conflicted ahead of emotional Mavericks clash
The Lakers guard returns to his old arena in a matchup packed with playoff tension, fan emotion... and just a touch of uncertainty.
Luka Doncic isn’t sure how to feel. That much he made clear ahead of Wednesday’s high-stakes return to Dallas – his first appearance back since being traded to the Lakers in a February blockbuster that stunned the basketball world and still hasn’t quite settled in.
Doncic returns to Dallas
“I don’t know what to expect, I don’t know what I’m going to feel‚” Doncic admitted, sounding as unsettled as many fans in Dallas still are. Their reaction will be one of the biggest questions of the night, with tensions lingering after protests outside the arena followed his departure. There’s going to be plenty of residual love though.
Doncic arrives averaging 27.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.6 assists for a Lakers team aiming to lock up the No. 3 seed in the West. He’s fresh off an ejection in Oklahoma City on Tuesday – his second technical of the game despite his expletives being aimed at a fan not the ref – adding another layer of emotion to an already loaded matchup.
The Mavericks, now featuring Anthony Davis - the other major piece in the trade - need a win to clinch a play-in spot after two ugly losses to the Clippers. Davis, who missed the first meeting between the teams in February, downplayed the occasion: “No emotions,” he said.
Mavs coach Kidd plays it cool
But Mavericks coach Jason Kidd expects otherwise. “It should be electric,” he admitted after trying to pass it off as a normal home game.
LeBron James, no stranger to returning to former teams, predicted Doncic will get love from the crowd. “He’ll hear his name a lot,” James said.
Just how much love he’ll feel – and how much confusion he can shake – will go a long way to determining how this chapter unfolds. One thing is certain: Dallas has never seen Doncic like this before.
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