Every piece of history Luka Doncic made in emotional Dallas return

Doncic finished as a +26 on the floor to go with 45 points, eight rebounds, six assists, four steals and seven made threes, registering a stat line never seen before in NBA history. 

Doncic got off to a slow start as a Laker but has hit his stride over the past month. In 27 games with his new team, Doncic has amassed 750 points, 218 rebounds, 204 assists and 44 steals. He's the fastest player in Lakers history to tally those numbers, an astonishing feat considering the caliber of legends who've donned Purple and Gold colors. 

Most points in a "revenge game" since 1977

If the Lakers had not blown out the Mavericks, 112-97, Doncic would have had the chance to break a 47-year record.

In the 1977-78 season, John Williamson scored 50 points as a member of the Nets in his first road game against his former team, the Pacers. Doncic's 45 is the second-most points in a "revenge game" since and third most of all time, per ESPN Research. 

Other recent "revenge games" saw Anthony Davis score 41 in his return to New Orleans in 2019, Kevin Durant drop 34 against OKC in 2017 and LeBron James tally 38 in his return to Cleveland in 2010. 

While Doncic finished with 45 on Wednesday, he scored 31 in just the first half courtesy of five made threes. He became just the third Laker since 1997-98 to reach those numbers within the first 24 minutes.

Doncic technically became a Laker in February, but it felt like he officially bid his former team goodbye on Wednesday. Upon receiving a warm welcome from his ex-teammates and beloved Dallas area fan base, he sounded like a man ready to put his past behind him. 

"I love these fans, I love this city, but it's time to move on," he said.

Since joining the Lakers, Doncic has led the team in every statistical category, including being a +161 on the floor. He has, almost single-handedly, made the Lakers a legitimate title contender.