EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Just over three weeks after the trade that stunned the sports world, Luka Doncic and his Los Angeles Lakers will host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.
Doncic’s new teammates and coaches all believe he’ll be ready and eager for this quick showdown with the team that abruptly shipped him out of the city where he earned five All-NBA selections, where he led last season’s squad to the NBA Finals after winning the scoring title — and where he expected to spend the rest of his career.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Every day that he’s been with us, it’s becoming just a little bit more normal. I’ve been there. The first time you play your old team, particularly this close in time duration, it’s going to be weird. But he’ll be able to handle it.”
Major life events have been coming at Doncic awfully quickly in February, so the speed at which this monumental matchup arrived on the Lakers’ schedule is just another challenge for the Slovenian superstar. Aside from the upheaval of the trade, Doncic is also still working his way back into top shape after missing 6 1/2 weeks with a strained calf.
Mavericks Be the smartest Mavericks fan. Get the latest news. SIGN UP Or with: Google Facebook By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Doncic declined to speak to reporters Monday after the Lakers’ practice, which he ended by making a half-court shot following a 3-point shooting drill with Dorian Finney-Smith, his former teammate in Dallas. Both veterans ended up with the Lakers this season in separate trades.
“I think he’s going to be excited, but everybody in the locker room is excited,” Finney-Smith said. “We’ve got his back. It’s going to be a hard-fought game. I know (Mavs coach Jason) Kidd is going to have them ready to come in here and compete, so we’ve just got to match their intensity.”
Advertisement
This matchup unfortunately won’t feature both headlining players in the blockbuster trade.
Anthony Davis, the big man who teamed up with LeBron James to lead the Lakers to the 2020 championship, is out at least two more weeks with a groin injury sustained in his first game with the Mavs.
Advertisement
Davis, who is on the road with his new team, is beloved in Los Angeles as Doncic is in Dallas. He is likely to feel that passion from the Lakers’ sellout crowd — and so is Max Christie, the Lakers’ former second-round pick who blossomed into a starter this season before the trade to the Mavs.
Advertisement
A full on-court reunion will have to wait until at least April 9, when the Lakers visit Dallas.
Doncic, who turns 26 on Friday, has played in only four games for the Lakers since getting healthy enough to return to the court. But he took a major step toward full strength with a stellar performance at Denver last Saturday night.
Advertisement
He put up 32 points with four 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in the Lakers’ 123-100 blowout win over the Nuggets, who had been a brutal matchup for Los Angeles in recent seasons.
“When he made the first 3, I was like, ‘OK, he’s on it tonight,’” Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said with a grin. “I don’t know how much he’s 100% healthy, but he’s started to get back to his rhythm, so I’m happy for him.”
After Doncic’s first two games with the Lakers were played on a minutes restriction, he struggled in his third appearance, going 5 for 18 and hitting just one 3-pointer on nine attempts in the Lakers’ embarrassing loss to Charlotte. The NBA’s hot-take factories chugged into production on concerns about Doncic’s game.
The Lakers said they weren’t worried in the slightest — and after Doncic took one game off in Portland to manage his injury recovery, he delivered in Denver.
Advertisement
“I knew it was going to come,” Finney-Smith said. “Luka, I shoot with him all the time, so I knew there was nothing wrong with his shot. He just hadn’t played for a while. He ain’t played since Christmas, and guys want him to come back and be 30, 10 and 10, but it takes time for him. I’m just happy he’s finding his rhythm.”
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
‘We’ve got his back’: New Lakers teammates say Luka Doncic’s ready to face Mavericks
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer