Feb 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is defended by Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) in the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

How did ex-Maverick Luka Doncic perform in his Lakers debut?

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Feb 11, 2025 1:16 AM ET

Luka Doncic made his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers last night, his first game since the shocking trade before the trade deadline that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks. It was also his first game since leaving on Christmas Day against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a period of about six weeks off for the Slovenian.

So with his first game in the books as a Laker, how did Doncic perform against the Utah Jazz on Monday night?

The Lakers smoked the Jazz 132-113 in a game that was never really close, as Luka Doncic put up 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists while shooting just 5/14 from the floor in 24 minutes. It's his lowest scoring game in a game that he played at least 20 minutes since a January game against the OKC Thunder in January 2022.

Doncic was still wearing an extra black sleeve on his left calf like he was before the strain happened on Christmas Day. He also didn't seem to be playing with the same joy Mavericks fans became accustomed to seeing him play with, as he's probably still dealing with the same emotions from being blindsided by the trade as a lot of Mavs fans are.

The Lakers will likely increase his workload as he gains more confidence in his calf, and he just played in a 5-on-5 practice for the first time a few days ago. Their next game is on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz again, this time on the road.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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