DALLAS, TEXAS – JANUARY 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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Cole Sullivan

By Cole Sullivan

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The Los Angeles Lakers (26–17) entered Saturday night’s matchup in Dallas against the Mavericks (19–26) looking to get back on track after losing six of their previous nine games.

Still, it was impossible to ignore the significance of Lakers superstar Luka Doncic returning to face his former team for the second time since being traded less than a year ago in one of the most shocking deals in NBA history.

Doncic made it clear before the game that much of the emotion from his first return to Dallas was behind him — and he backed that up on the court. He dominated the first half, recording 17 points, six rebounds, and seven assists while making NBA history in the process.

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At halftime, the Lakers announced that Doncic, with his second made three-pointer of the half, became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,500 career three-pointers.

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In Doncic’’s first full season with the Lakers, he’s performing at an MVP level. Entering Saturday night, he averaged a league-leading 33.4 points per game, along with 8.7 assists, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 36.4 minutes per contest.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks already fired Nico Harrison, the general manager who made the final call to trade Doncic last February — a move that was never well received in the city of Dallas.

DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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Fortunately for Dallas, they ended up with the No. 1 overall pick after dealing Doncic for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and draft compensation, and ultimately selected Cooper Flagg. As of now, just over 40 games into the season, Flagg is firmly the heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

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