Max Christie had to compete in challenging circumstances on a night dominated by Luka Doncic.
Luka Doncic’s return to face the the Dallas Mavericks in the city he once called home proved to be an emotional night.
Doncic dropped 45 points, proving to the Mavericks that they made a big mistake trading him away to the LA Lakers at the deadline.
On the other side, many expected Anthony Davis to actually overshadow Doncic, playing against the Lakers for the first time.
It was a difficult night for Davis, who had 11 rebounds and 6 assists but only managed 13 points as the Mavericks lost 97-112.
Max Christie stepped up
While Anthony Davis’ total output was disappointing, Max Christie contributed what he was expected to.
Christie had 11 points, just two short of Davis, also adding three rebounds and three assists in his performance from the bench.
The former Laker is known more for his defense and he is always competitive when he plays, and managed to impress watching fans.
One wrote: “Max Christie was very solid,” with another adding: “Max Christie, yeah he something special.”
A couple made a comparison to Anthony Davis’ performance, with one commenting: “Max Christie played with more heart than AD.”
“Max Christie is the one saying to the Lakers: “You traded ME?”, posted another.
Another fan agreed, “Max Christie has been really good on both sides of the ball.”
Chants of ‘Fire Nico’ put Max Christie off
Anger at Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was evident immediately after the trade, and it has not subsided.
Fans chanted ‘Fire Nico’ at various points through the contest, and unfortunately for Max Christie, this came when he was taking free throws. He missed both of them.
One viewer wrote: “I do feel a little bad for Max Christie. Not a great situation for a young guy trying to develop confidence.”
There was also some reticence from Lakers fans about Christie’s performance, still sad that he was one of the players sacrificed in the trade.
One wrote: “Max Christie is so crafty. I really wish he had more time with the Lakers.”
And another posted, hopefully: “Max Christie you will be a Laker again, come home ASAP.”
