Doncic nearly had a triple-double in the first half against his former team.

Feb 25, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks to move the ball on Dallas Mavericks guard Max Christie (00) during the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers played in LA on Tuesday night, marking the first time these two have played each other since the trade deadline. That meant Luka Doncic was going against the Mavericks after three weeks of having his name dragged in the mud by Dallas’ front office, and people expected him to have a massive performance.

Doncic delivered early, coming out with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in the first quarter. He could’ve had 12 but had a three wiped off the board because his heel stepped out of bounds on a step-back over a double-team. His scoring would slow in the second quarter, but he’d still go into halftime with 12 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) grabs a rebound against the Dallas Mavericks during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

According to the TNT broadcast, Luka Doncic became the first player ever to have at least 12 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, two steals, and two blocks in a half since the play-by-play tracking started in 1996. It wouldn’t be Luka Magic if he wasn’t doing something special, and he did that in the first half of this matchup.

The Lakers and Mavericks played an emotional and physical game, with Doncic taunting the Mavericks bench after a big shot in the first quarter. But Jason Kidd continued to adjust his defenses around Doncic and LeBron James, and that made life tough on drives. It’s been a one-possession game for a lot of the fourth quarter.