Just 23 days after shocking trade off to Dallas, Dončić faced his former team playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Still struggling with feelings of betrayal and uncertainty, he had an inconsistent performance filled with brilliant displays of his talent and visible anxiety.
“It was just a lot of emotions,” Dončić admitted. “I can’t even explain. It was a different game. Sometimes, I didn’t even know what I was doing. I’m just glad it’s over, honestly.”
His game reflected his emotions—he notched a triple-double in his Lakers debut but struggled with his shot, missing 11 of 17 attempts and struggling from three-point range. While he delivered a multiple great passes and strong defensive plays, he managed just two points in the fourth quarter of a close game.
