Lakers' LeBron James versus Mavs' Luka Doncic
Something old, something new and something blue. On Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks lost an overtime thriller 119-110 to the Los Angeles Lakers. It was a historic game that featured a duel between a young rising star in Luka Doncic versus one of the best players the NBA has ever seen in LeBron James. The two stars didn’t disappoint either, as both recorded a triple-double. King James led the Lakers with 39 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds while Doncic, a rising prince in the league, scored 31 points with 15 assists and 13 rebounds.
History was made on several levels. Doncic (20) and James (34) became the youngest and oldest players in NBA history with stat lines of at least 30 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in the same game. James joins Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and future Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook as the third player in NBA history to lodge 30, 30-point triple-doubles, according to ESPN stats. Also, James became the first player ever to record at least 30 points, 15 assists game and 10 rebounds with four steals (since steals became an official stat in 1973-74), according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Hustling Backwards: Luka Doncic Needs Stitches After the Game
The matchup between the Lakers and Mavericks got intense in the fourth quarter. Neither team was willing to back down, and with 2:01 remaining in regulation, Luka Doncic, Dwight Howard, and Dorian Finney-Smith chased after a loose ball. During the sequence, Doncic hit the back of his head on Lakers center Dwight Howard’s chin, per ESPN’s Doris Burke.
There were concerns Doncic, who looked out of it after the play, may have had a concussion. It was later determined that Doncic would need three stitches to close the wound. After the game, Doncic was asked how he was feeling and if he could go on Sunday against the Cavs.
“Yeah, for sure, just a couple of stitches, nothing to worry about,” Doncic told Fanatics view.
Mavs.com writer, Dwain Price, would ask Doncic to explain what exactly happened on the play that required him to have stitches. “I don’t remember. I think there was a rebound, and I went for it, and somebody hit me from behind. I don’t even know, who it was,” said Doncic.
He also said he felt a little bit weird after the hit, but then things went back to normal.
Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend reported Luka Doncic went through the concussion protocol during the game against the Lakers and also after it, passing the test both times.
Doncic says he was put through concussion protocal after he was hit and again after the game. Cleared both times.
Mavs Got Schooled: What Can Mavs Learn From the Lakers Game?
Following the game, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle and Luka Doncic discussed lessons learned from the loss against the Los Angeles Lakers and how they plan to move forward.
“We let them get the three at the end [of regulation], and we didn’t respond well in overtime obviously, but they [Lakers] got a lot of great players. I love a lot of the way we competed tonight. We have to work through some inconsistencies that we have, and we will learn from this and get better,” Carlisle told Fanatics View.
The Mavs matched the Lakers’ physicality throughout the game. However, the team did not finish the Lakers off in regulation when they had the chance, a lapse that will not happen again in the future, according to Doncic.
“I know we could have won that game. In the last play, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do, but you learn from mistakes. It’s the beginning of the season; we’re not going to make that mistake again,” said Doncic. “They are a championship team. We had a chance to win and did some great things out there. We should be proud of ourselves,” replied Doncic after being asked how the Mavericks can bounce back from Friday’s loss to the Lakers.
Doncic is averaging 26.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game through the first five games of the season. The Mavericks will face the Cavaliers on the road on Sunday night.
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