The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 129-119 on Friday night to close NBA Cup group play with a perfect record behind a 35-point double-double from Luka Doncic against his former team. Dallas threw everything at number 77, including doubling him from the opening tipoff, but it didn’t matter. Doncic made the Mavs regret that much worse as his MVP season continues.
Luka led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024, just months before the shocking trade. Since the deal, Doncic got in the best shape of his life and has been determined to make the Mavericks regret it. It has been a nightmare season for Dallas as LD has played the best basketball of his career. Still, Luka wasn’t missing his chance to shove this one in their face.
Doncic made the trade look even better for the Lakers again on Friday night. He spoiled Anthony Davis’ return from injury and proved he will put up monster numbers no matter what the opposition throws at him. It was an incredible night, but that is the norm for number 77.
Luka Doncic dominates the Mavericks as Lakers stay undefeated in NBA Cup
Los Angeles fans knew this would be a special night from the opening moments. Doubling Luka on the first possession led to a wide-open 3-pointer for Austin Reaves. Doncic was a willing passer when Dallas forced the ball out of his hands. He kept making plays like this cannot miss alley-oop to LeBron James.
🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/Zs7WCi4Y1u
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 29, 2025
Luka wasn’t missing against his former team. He was aggressive and kept making plays. Doncic finished with 35 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds in 40 minutes of action. He made ten of his 18 field goals, including four 3-pointers, in a stellar performance.
The Mavericks have struggled on offense this season, which made this loss even more disheartening. Dallas is 5-15 on the season and just dropped a game where they shot 48 percent from the field and 44 percent on their 3-point attempts.
Luka was not letting the Lakers lose this game. He wanted to play his entire career with the Mavericks. It was Nico Harrison who ruined that dream with a middle-of-the-night trade that came out of nowhere. Doncic was devastated. He isn’t satisfied that Harrison was fired or with Dallas struggling.
Number 77 has moved on to a better situation. He is flanked by two superstars in Los Angeles. Austin Reaves was unstoppable against Dallas, and LeBron James is the GOAT. Luka has his sights set on winning his first championship with the Lakers, and their NBA Cup domination is a strong start. Friday’s win moved them to 4-0 and guaranteed them homecourt in the quarterfinals.
Luka Doncic always plays his best on the biggest stages. Los Angeles Lakes fans are quickly finding that out. The superstar will make it a massive stage whenever he faces his former team. He went off against the Mavericks and made sure Dallas was regretting the trade all over again. LD certainly won’t let them forget anytime soon.