All-Star Lakers guard Luka Doncic played like a man possessed in his return to the Dallas Mavericks. The Slovenian had 31 points in just the first half, before ultimately finishing with 45 points, eight rebounds, six assists, seven 3PM and four steals.
As a plus-26 on the floor, Doncic became the first player in NBA history to log that specific stat line in a regular-season game, per OptaSTATS.
Doncic also had the third-highest points tally in his first road game against a former team. He was just five points shy of the record set by former Nets guard John Williamson, who scored 50 in his return to the Pacers in the 1977-78 season.
“His 45 points are the third most by a player in his first road game against a former team in NBA history, according to ESPN Research,” read an ESPN report.
Luka Doncic Replicates Wilt Chamberlain
Doncic also became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1964-65 to score 45 points against and for the same team in a season. “The Big Dipper” scored 63 points for the Warriors against the 76ers that season, and followed it up with 45 as part of the 76ers later in the season.
Doncic similarly scored 45 as a member of the Mavericks in December 2024 before scoring 45 against his former team on April 9.
For Doncic, the night was not about records but getting closure.
“It was a little bit of both, happy and angry, but it’s nice to see some familiar faces here,” Doncic said after his triumphant comeback. “It was a lot emotions. When I woke up, I was tired. Ain’t going to lie, I didn’t sleep much as I was excited about this game. I really appreciate the fans, the way they reacted to me.”
“Now I can get some sleep, finally.”
Worst NBA Trade Ever?
With the Lakers finding immediate success in the Luka Doncic era, and the Mavericks going south, many analysts believe the latter made the biggest err in NBA history.
“On the morning of Feb. 2, 2025, the Dallas Mavericks made the dumbest move that any NBA team has made since the then-Vancouver Grizzlies had their infamous “real grizzlies in the stands” promotion. They traded Luka Doncic,” wrote Andy Tobo of Mavs Money Ball.
“If there was an official list of dos and don’ts, like at an orientation for NBA general mangers, this would be number one on it: if you happen to be the Dallas Mavericks, and you have say the second best player in the world, and he is (at the time) 25-years-old, and if you’ve just made the NBA Finals, and if you just made the Western Conference Finals two years ago, don’t trade him. But they did do that, which was — so dumb.”
As the writer pointed out, Doncic guided the Mavericks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011 in 2024, only to be shipped out of town eight months later.
The decision left many perplexed, including FS1 analysts Nick Wright and Chris Broussard, who argued over it being the “worst trade in NBA history” in February.
With each passing day, those analysts continue to be proven right.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Luka Doncic Makes NBA History In Mavericks Homecoming appeared first on Heavy Sports.