❄Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks Full Game Highlights | April 9, 2025 | LUKA's Return

Just like us, when you heard about this or saw this, you didn't believe it. One of the biggest trades in sports history. Shocking trade in the NBA. Luka coming from Dallas to the Lakers. So tonight, a lot of mixed emotions with the fan base here in Dallas. And Luka, a little bit after 4 o'clock, arriving at the arena he used to call home. He said it's going to be emotional. It will be for him and his entire team as he enters the arena. To a lot of cheers and a lot of attention. Saying hello to former teammates. And now, on the floor, warming up and getting ready for tonight's game. Opening goal to LeBron, he's going to attack the rim and he's going to get a late whistle. And he's going to go to the line and shoot 2.4 seconds into the game. Here's a good look at J.J. And of course, there will be a lot of chanting and roaring here tonight. Dodges, drive, found Hayes, and he couldn't hold on to it. Turnover, here they come, 3 on 1. Look out! All the energy looking towards number 77. Is the Don underneath trying to deliver some magic? And he does just that. Good job of getting into the paint, falling back, and taking what the defense gave him. Play in the corner, that's trouble. That is trouble. They're going to work it into the corner, 3 on its way, and it rattles in. There's P.J. Going in, Kenny Smith, who plays plenty in this arena, is in the game for Hayes. He's going to the rim and laying it in is A.R. Luka's got a hand on it, and now Dodges has control of it. Here he comes, 3 on 2, Dodges on the way! Good reading of the defense. They never did stop the ball, so he took it to distance. Dodges now wears those colors, and the number 77 on his back will get it right back. Luka, 3, got it! The crowd on their feet when he knocks down the triple. Dodges again, drive, kick, Rui, good! Washington, here's Lively, as they work on the inside. If the Lakers are vulnerable anywhere, that's exactly where it is. Luka has scored or assisted on 11 of the 18, make it 14 of 21! Wow, a step back over A.D., and A.D. was in his face. Here's Max, all the way to score. Give it right back to Dodges, got to go to work. Going to shoot it with Foster, Clark! Yes, sir! More for Luka! All the way, Vanderbilt gets stuck, gets it right back. Going to push it out to the perimeter, trying to attack with Najee. And Marshall right there. LeBron back to the basket. Keeps the dribble. Here comes his little hook shot on a Magic Johnson. Going to be taken by Vanderbilt. What a pass underneath to LeBron to score! Forget the pass, what hustle by Vanderbilt. Out on top for Finney Smith. He's going to drive. Good speed under to Vanderbilt, who's slammed. Dunks it home. Well, they worried about Dorian taking the three-pointer, so he immediately attacked the paint, created the opportunity for the assist. LeBron! Throw it down LeBron! Boy, that was a fantastic play. He went way up, and they scored the other end. Luka's back in, 65 days since the trade. So this is not the first time he's faced his former team, as he lays it up and in. Nobody home that time for Doncic. Again, they can't pick him up. All too easy for the Darlins. Nice screen, though, by Dorian. Open, walking into the three. It's Finney Smith. Oh, Austin! AR! Throwing it down, and he looks at the bench. Exploded! He's as shocked as everybody. Doncic! String music. Doncic. Open man again is Finney Smith. Yes! Luka once again in on another Laker basket. Doncic went flying right by. Doncic. They're not biting on the fake, so he goes right back out. He'll get it right from Finney Smith. On its way! Down it goes! What do they say? You can't script it any better so far? Oh, my goodness, Luka. That's his second basket of the evening. Reverse layup by who else? He's just single-handedly taking the Mavericks apart. Luka, another three. Yes! Smokin'! Just stop. Oh, no. Then again, don't stop. Underneath the pass by A.D. What a pass off the dribble by A.D. Nice pass by Davis. Reads. Down the middle he goes. All the way, lay it up and in! Boy, did he cut off the angle for Anthony Davis. The three with two on the shot clock. And they score! Lakers out 4.5. Washington kind of low up. Lobbed rather under to A.D. Here's that reverse layup. Countered and won. And Davis will go to the line. Once again, they're trying to work it to A.D. And the Lakers double-teaming and stripping it away. Yeah, that time he turned and they didn't let him go baseline. Luka trying to search the rim. He does and scores again! That one's knocked from behind. Taken down by LeBron. LeBron's got two players in front of him. Now just one. It's Davis and he scores! Good hands that time by Luka. Shaking big for Washington. Trying to get around LeBron. They force it to A.D. And the Lakers were waiting for it. Four on two. Luka behind the back. Rui on its way. Got it! Well, last night the Lakers played a very good third quarter. They really turned it on as LeBron turns around and scores underneath. LeBron James tonight. His third board. Underneath. Forces his way in with the left hand for two more. Davis back to the basket. Bounces out to Marshall. Where he's been just about their whole offense, hasn't he? Yeah. Luka quarterbacking this possession. Still with the dribble. Lobs underneath. Finney-Smith has to come down. Back to Rui. Who's open for three? Bam! Hachimura! Good gather by Dorian. LeBron playing at both ends of that lob. Wide open Rui. Dallas needs a timeout. Badly because the Lakers are rolling right now. Now the Lakers are scrambling defensively. And Max goes all the way in and lays it up and in. Marshall. Davis. Lakers need a timeout. Are they going to get it? Apparently not. That 13-point lead is down to six. Here is Dantic. We're going to have two monitors then. Here's Dantic laying it up and in. Dantic dribbled through two players. That's the first time Vando. Dime-wise. Here's Gafford. Rolls it over. 83-76. They're not going anywhere. And with those two big smash hits. And there's the first lob to one of the bigs. AD. The Lakers reach. Tries to find Vanderbilt. Boy, he's been stubbed at the rim three times now by Gafford. Here's Davis. As high as he can get and they tip it in. Again, Gafford. It's down to three. They haven't had the lead in a while. They got it now. There's the two-hand jab. The staple of Max Christie. LeBron hooks it up and in. With that left hand. Rui going to turn it over. That's a good defensive play by Klay. Thompson now at the other end. One bounce for Rubin. And Rui hits it out of the timeout. What you need to do. LeBron in the front court. Spins. He's at the rim. Count it. It's a real heads-up play by LeBron as the defender fell asleep. On her knees. Finney-Smith's got the offensive rebound. Keeping it alive. Down the middle comes LeBron. Scoop and score. Finney-Smith making it happen with the offensive board. To P.J. And he knocks it down from beyond the line. Open. Rui. LeBron follows. Washington again. Two in a row. Sometimes all you need to do is see it go through once. LeBron on the out-of-bounds play. Kicks it out to Hachimura. Reeves. Yes. Count it. Austin. James operating on the outside. Trying to go around lively. And does. He's still got some quicks, doesn't he? Rolling was Reeves. He finds him. He's underneath. LeBron gets hit. Count it. And one. Again, when he's diving, boy, you've got a major issue if you're the back line. Underneath. Thrown up and in. Oh, my goodness. Thrown up and in. What a circus shot. Watch the left hand. Look at this. Up, up. And let me just throw it up high off the window. And now the Lakers are up 105-94. Do not get complacent. And that guy won't shake his head. Not tonight, Dallas. I'm a member of the Lakers, and we're going away with a victory. As Luka adds to his 43. All the magic they had witnessed for the years that he was here. What a night. What a homecoming. Standing ovation. Listen to the crowd. 45 points. They're on their feet. This is Dallas, Texas, not Los Angeles, California. Boy, do they love Luka here. A standing O. As their team is getting whooped. What a performance. Look at his teammates, too. They're cheering along with the crowd. And Luka commits the foul to go out of the game to a standing O. What a night. Privileged. Grateful to be here. To witness something like that. And we'll see them one more time on Friday night. Ronnie James. Great pass. Great feed, and a slam by Connex. To give the Lakers some credit in that department, obviously. Lakers go 2-for-1 on the trip, and they're coming home Friday night after a masterpiece by Luka Doncic.