The Mavericks had been rolling since the trade deadline, pulling off four wins in five games—even without Luka Dončić or Anthony Davis. But their hot streak came to a screeching halt on Sunday. Facing a Warriors squad led by Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, Dallas got a harsh reality check, falling 126-102. Sometimes it looks warm and positive, but the future looks cold for Dallas. What prompted the franchise to do that trade remains a mystery for the ages.

Anyway, that loss came just days before one of the season’s most-anticipated games. On Tuesday, the Mavericks head to Los Angeles, where Doncic will face his old allies for the first time since the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Lakers.

In return, Dallas landed Anthony Davis, but things didn’t go as planned. Davis strained his adductor in his Mavericks debut on Feb. 8 and has been out ever since. After Sunday’s loss, Kyrie Irving didn’t shy away from the obvious storylines. “High-level basketball game,” he said.

The Lakers smashed the Denver Nuggets yesterday with Doncic providing the numbers. Yes, he looked grim-faced for the first time he donned a Lakers jersey. But if things suggest, the Slovenian’s finally finding his feet with the Laker Nation. When it’s complete, you’re in for a roller-coaster ride, Lakers fans.

“Lot of good players on the floor at once. Outside just the obvious of us being in LA, being a former team of Luka’s. Obviously, the narrative’s already written. I don’t know what else I can add to that. I’m pretty much focused and telling my guys to focus on the high-level game that we gotta win,” said Kyrie.

He also knows Doncic isn’t going to take it easy. “They’re going to come in and be ready to play against us,” Irving added. “Luka’s obviously gonna have a lot of confidence. He played well last game, so he’s feeling good, and we just gotta be aware of it.” 

For the first time in purple and gold, the Slovenian looked like the guy who torched defenses in Dallas. He controlled the pace, picked apart matchups, and ran the pick-and-roll to perfection. The Nuggets had no answers. By the time the dust settled, Doncic had racked up 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, and a block in just 31 minutes.

But this win was bigger than just his stat line. The Lakers hadn’t beaten the Nuggets in Denver since April 10, 2022. They had lost eight straight in that building. On top of that, Denver came in riding a nine-game win streak, looking like their usual dominant selves. But the duo of LeBron and the 5x All-Star finally clicked.

LeBron James calls Luka Doncic a “natural-born quarterback”

The swagger, the grin, the nonstop trash talk—it was all there. “Finally feel like myself a little bit,” Luka said. “Playing this game, this is what I love.” And honestly, it showed.

LeBron James wasn’t complaining either. He dropped 25 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, catching multiple full-court dimes from Dončić like an NFL wide receiver. “I am a natural-born wide receiver and he’s a natural-born quarterback,” James joked. James had interest in NFL, just saying!

The Lakers finally broke their losing streak in Denver, never trailing in a dominant 123-100 win. After losing eight straight in Ball Arena, they flipped the script, forcing 22 turnovers while committing just nine. Turnovers slowly started becoming an issue for the Lakers but they solved the problem at Denver, one could say. Even with Nikola Jokic notching another triple-double, LA held him to 2-of-7 shooting and six turnovers.

Doncic, who had 19 points by halftime, is still adjusting after the blockbuster trade and his calf injury. But on Saturday, he looked like the guy who led Dallas to the Finals. LeBron saw it too. “Once he started hitting those stepback 3s, he could be yelling or barking—at fans, us, or himself.”

JJ Redick wanted to see Luka’s fire. He got it when Dončić nailed a three before halftime, screamed into the air, and made it official—he’s arrived as a Laker.