Luka Doncic never expected to face the Dallas Mavericks as an opposing player. But in the aftermath of the Mavericks‘ shocking decision to trade Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the date February 25 received a circle on the calendar, as Doncic knew that would mark the Mavericks’ first visit to Los Angeles since the trade.
A little more than three weeks after Dallas shocked the NBA by moving Doncic, the Slovenian star tortured his old team with a triple-double on Tuesday night, helping Los Angeles to a big win in the chase for playoff positioning. Doncic scored 19 points and added 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks as the Lakers pulled away from the Mavericks for a 107-99 victory that left the Mavs searching for answers deep into the night.
Mavs continue to make it clear: Doncic has personal issues
Dallas remains determined to win the public relations war that has erupted in the weeks since it dealt Doncic, its franchise player, to Los Angeles for a package headlined by star big man Anthony Davis. According to a new report in The Athletic, the Mavericks were frequently unimpressed with Doncic’s behavior, and the franchise was specifically spooked by the prolific guard’s penchant for alcohol and smoking hookah.
However, Doncic appears to have shed some weight since the trade, and he appears to be improving each game since recovering from the calf injury that had sidelined him since Christmas. Mavericks fans have been protesting the trade en masse since it was announced, and they don’t seem to care that the franchise has made an unofficial “projection” that Doncic will be out of basketball within five years. Instead, they live in the present, where Doncic roasted his former teammates at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday, a bizarre reality no one expected to live in.
Read the full article here
