DALLAS — In his second game back at American Airlines Center since being traded almost a year ago, Luka Dončić nearly had a 30-point triple-double.
In the Los Angeles Lakers’ 116-110 win Saturday over the Dallas Mavericks, Dončić scored 33 points, hauled in eight rebounds and delivered 11 assists. He drained two of his signature stepback 3s and lived at the free-throw line, converting 14 of 15 attempts.
The Mavericks officially called the game a sellout. While there was a smattering of seats that went unfilled, Saturday was an impressive fan turnout considering the snowy and icy conditions affecting North Texas.
The crowd roared when Dončić was introduced. The 26-year-old Slovenian couldn’t stop smiling before the ball was tipped.
“Welcome home, Luka!” Danny Andino, a Mavericks fan who was celebrating his 46th birthday, shouted during pregame warmups.
Andino was wearing Dončič’s No. 77 Mavericks jersey. His 8-year-old son, Kruz, wore Cooper Flagg’s No. 32 Mavericks top.
Danny Andino and his 8-year-old son, Kruz, were among the many fans who showed up to American Airlines Center in icy weather conditions to see Luka Dončić’s return to Dallas. (Christian Clark / The Athletic)
“We still miss Luka,” said Andino, who drove an hour and a half from Argyle, Texas, to get to the game. “We are still holding out hope he might come back. We do love Cooper Flagg and the Cooper Flagg era; we just wish it could be the Luka and Cooper Flagg era.”
Per usual, Flagg made an all-around impact, tallying 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists, though it was not his most efficient shooting night. The Lakers dared him to take jumpers, and he made 7 of 20 from the floor, including 1 of 5 from behind the 3-point arc.
One of the few mistakes Dončić made all night, however, came at the beginning of halftime. Dončić took a few steps toward the tunnel that Mavericks players travel through to get to their locker room. By the time he was on the baseline, Dončić realized he needed to head the opposite way to reach the Lakers’ locker room, so he doubled back.
“I was here seven years,” Dončić said. “A lot of things happened, bad and good. I kinda describe it (like) when I went to Madrid (to play professionally) when I was 13. Every time I went back to Slovenia, I felt good. That’s why it’s always going to be a special place.”
The Mavericks held a 15-point lead with 7:41 remaining but were unable to hang on. They were outscored by the Lakers 29-8 the rest of the way to put an end to Dallas’ four-game winning streak and improve their record against the Mavericks to 4-0 since last February’s trade.
Dončić scored nine points in the final quarter, including a running layup with 50.1 seconds remaining that increased the Lakers’ lead to eight points.
“I think we did as good of a job as we could have,” said Mavericks (and former Lakers) guard Max Christie, who scored 24 points against his former team. “Obviously, (Luka) is going to get his numbers every time. He was all over the game. But for the most part, we wanted to make him drive, get him off that 3-point line. He hit a couple in that first quarter. He was passing it really well. He got to the free-throw line a little too much for us, as well.”
During one of Dončić’s trips to the free-throw line, four Mavericks fans held up a sign that said, “COME HOME.”
Mavs Fans will always have love for Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/rE4l3RCuRo
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) January 25, 2026
Dončić, who signed a three-year contract extension with the Lakers in August, is trying to move on. But Saturday’s game was more evidence that his relationship with Mavericks fans will always be special.
“I didn’t know what to expect before (the game), because I know how the city gets when the weather is this bad,” Dončić said. “But I really appreciate a lot of people showing up.”
