The NBA world was turned upside down Feb. 2 when the Dallas Mavericks traded five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future pick.
The deal sent shockwaves through the league, leading to ongoing discourse about the repercussions of the deal in Dallas and what the future now holds for the Lakers, one of the most decorated franchises in league history. The ire from Mavericks fans erupted after the franchise questioned the conditioning and commitment of their former superstar on his way to Los Angeles and Davis picked up another injury midway through his first game in Dallas that has kept him out since.
The Lakers beat the Mavericks on Tuesday 107-99 in the first matchup involving the teams since the trade. Doncic recorded a triple-double in the win as the Los Angeles offense was just too much to keep up with down the stretch.
Here are the key takeaways from the high-profile matchup.
This was an extremely fun matchup, even if you set aside the great anticipation of a «Luka Revenge Game.»
The Mavs showed a ton of pride defensively, and Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson flashed brilliance on offense, to give Dallas a chance late. But the Lakers clamped down and defended down the stretch, as LeBron James put his foot on the pedal at both ends when it counted to close things out.
The massive media glare will always be there when it comes to Los Angeles; particularly when it features two of the NBA's best minds, LeBron and Luka. But it also should be fascinating to see what a full-strength Dallas squad with Anthony Davis looks like in the playoffs and beyond. — Chris Herring
It wasn't pretty, or easy, but the Lakers eventually came away with a 107-99 victory over the Mavericks
Read more on espn.com
espn.com
