Tuesday night’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks will be a particularly significant occasion, marking Luka Dončić’s first game against his former team since the surprising trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas. In anticipation of this highly anticipated matchup, footage of Dončić practicing with the Lakers has recently gone viral.
The video shows a relaxed and happy practicing shots from three-point territory. The 25-year-old is seen swaggering, shouting calls into the gym hollows, and attempting what seems like a Michael Jackson-inspired leg kick. Doncic could be engaged in a three-point contest against Dorian Finney-Smith — Doncic seems to call out the score of the affair, “Six-two, Luka”. Finney-Smith hits five of his six attempts shown, and Doncic hits all seven of his.
Luka Doncic Relaxed ahead of Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade Dončić to the Lakers was a bold and controversial move, as it effectively parted ways with the franchise’s cornerstone player, a talent around whom they could have built for the next decade. General Manager Nico Harrison opted for a different strategy, believing that acquiring Anthony Davis to complement Kyrie Irving offered a better path to immediate championship contention, either this year or in the near future. However, with Davis currently sidelined due to injury, the Mavericks are struggling to maintain momentum, which diminishes some of the intrigue surrounding this game, as it was also anticipated to be Davis’s return to Los Angeles.
While this game in Los Angeles isn’t Dončić’s return to his former home arena, his performance against his former team will undoubtedly be a focal point. It will be interesting to observe if he displays any added motivation against the Mavericks. Dončić is coming off a stellar performance in his most recent game as a Laker, scoring 32 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field, including 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. He also contributed 10 rebounds and seven assists, helping the Lakers secure a 123-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets.
Heading into this matchup, LA holds a 34-21 record, tied with the Houston Rockets for the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Los Angeles aims to climb the standings and surpass the Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies for a higher playoff seed. The Mavericks, with a 31-27 record, will be looking to finish the regular season strong and secure a guaranteed playoff spot, avoiding the play-in tournament.