Luka Doncic conquers emotional return to Dallas with monster performance 

First, Doncic enjoyed an introduction worthy of a home player. He even eventually let his emotions boil over into tears while watching a video package that showed his time in Dallas, dating back to draft night to leading the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals last year. 

"I don't know how I did it. Because when I was watching that video, I was like, 'There's no way I'm playing this game,'" said Doncic when asked about the video tribute. 

But once the game got underway, Doncic played like someone who wanted to make a statement, likely to the Mavericks' president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison more than anyone. And his message was sent loud and clear. 

Doncic scored 45 points in 38 minutes, hitting 57.1% of his shots on the night. He also added eight rebounds and six assists. Doncic's performance matched his highest point total as a Laker — he also scored 45 in a loss in Milwaukee on March 13. 

This monster game comes after Doncic struggled some in his first matchup against the Mavericks since the trade when Dallas visited Los Angeles on Feb. 25, connecting on only 6-of-17 shots from the field. 

Doncic entered the game averaging 27.6 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.7 assists overall in 48 games played with the Lakers and Mavericks combined this season. 

And as the Mavericks' season continues to unravel, granted Kyrie Irving's season-ending injury has played a major role, Doncic and the Lakers are now 49-31 and are currently in position as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. 

Only time will tell who ends up winning the trade that shocked the NBA. But if things continue down this path for Dallas, the Mavericks' decision to trade Doncic in the middle of his prime will go down as one of the worst trades in sports history.