Luka Doncic's sweet revenge: the Slovenian explodes in his first game against Dallas

Luka Doncic didn't have to wait long to get his sporting revenge after his surprising exit from the Dallas Mavericks . The Slovenian, who is showing a clear improvement in his form, led his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to a 107-99 victory.

After seven seasons as the star of the Texas franchise, where he made his NBA debut after leaving Real Madrid, Doncic worked hard to be its executioner this time. So much so that he achieved his first triple-double as a Lakers player with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.

Brilliant numbers despite the fact that the point guard was not entirely accurate in attack, with only 6 field goals made out of 17 attempts, but compensated by an unusual defensive effort that materialized in three steals and two blocks.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” Doncic said after the game about how he experienced the duel against his former teammates. “I think in the first and second quarter I didn’t know what was going on. It was just different. I can’t even explain how I felt .”

Tuesday night's game was the first official game in which Doncic had to face a former team, as his visit to Madrid with the Mavericks did not count as it was a friendly.

"I couldn't score anything today," he said of his missed shots. "I'm just happy that we got a win. I can't wait to go to sleep," the Slovenian genius concluded.

Doncic and Austin Reaves, who scored 20 points, carried the offensive weight of the Lakers until their leader, LeBron James , appeared in the final stretch to seal the victory.

The forward, in excellent form despite his 40 years, scored 16 of his 27 points in a frenetic fourth quarter, guaranteeing the ninth victory for the Los Angeles franchise in the last 11 games.

Even with LeBron's recital, the night was dominated by Doncic's reunion with the Mavericks, the franchise he led until the last Finals and where he wanted to develop his entire career.

The Crypto.com Arena crowd cheered hard for their new idol but also applauded Anthony Davis , the other big piece of the transfer, who took the opposite path, moving to Dallas after six years in Los Angeles.

The center, who watched the game from the bench due to an abdominal injury, was honored with a tribute video of his best moments with the Los Angeles team, crowned by the ring he won in 2020 alongside LeBron James.

The mastermind behind the controversial move, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison , was also on hand and received a few chants of thanks from Lakers fans for giving them Doncic, one of the league's most promising players at 25 years old.

As soon as the match started, the Slovenian was quick to show his extra motivation with several brilliant attacks, a steal and a strong protest to a referee who called a technical foul on him. In the first quarter he had already accumulated 9 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, sending several messages to the rival bench after his baskets.

The Slovenian also lived up to his nickname 'Luka Magic' with a spectacular no-look assist on a Reaves three-pointer.

Despite finding themselves at several significant disadvantages, the Mavericks continued to fight back under the leadership of Kyrie Irving , who finished with 35 points and embraced Doncic on the court.

"Kai is my brother. That goes way beyond basketball. It was good to see all these guys," Doncic said.

The final push led by LeBron sealed the victory for the Lakers, who occupy fourth place in the Western Conference and are shaping up to be a dangerous rival in the playoffs.