Luka Dončić did not actually wish to get into his outdated common supervisor.
The Los Angeles Lakers star, contemporary off a blowout 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on Wednesday night time, was requested in regards to the Dallas Mavericks’ transfer to fireplace common supervisor Nico Harrison — the identical man that traded him to the Lakers forward of the deadline final season.
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“I believed I used to be going to remain there eternally, however I did not,” Dončić stated. “That’ll all the time be a particular place for me, all the time I can name it house. However proper now I am targeted on the Lakers, making an attempt to maneuver on.”
The , roughly 9 months after he dealt Dončić to the Lakers in a deal that completely rocked the Mavericks fan base. Harrison merely couldn’t win them again over, even after selecting up Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 total decide within the draft earlier this summer time, and followers even whereas the Mavericks have been in place to beat the Milwaukee Bucks. That has been a continuing rallying cry for Mavericks followers ever because the Dončić commerce, and it lastly grew to become an excessive amount of for the workforce’s possession group to cope with.
Dončić was additionally shocked that night time in February. He stated later that he threw his cellphone after hanging up the decision.
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“Unhappiness, principally,” Dončić stated in April, in that second. “I used to be nonetheless in shock, like, loopy shock. I felt my coronary heart was damaged, truthfully.”
Although the commerce left the Mavericks group in turmoil, Dončić picked up proper the place he left off in Los Angeles. He averaged 28.2 factors, 8.1 rebounds and seven.5 assists in 28 video games with the workforce final season and helped them attain the playoffs for a 3rd straight 12 months.
He entered Wednesday’s recreation averaging 37.1 factors, 9.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists per recreation, too. Dončić put up 43 factors of their season-opener, dropped 49 factors of their first win of the season and had a triple-double in a win over the Miami Warmth earlier this month. Although he missed a bit time with minor finger and lag accidents, Dončić has been simply as dominant as he’s been all through his NBA profession already this fall.
Requested immediately if he might ever see himself taking part in for the Mavericks group once more sooner or later, particularly now that Harrison is gone, Dončić did not reply.
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“Proper now I am simply targeted on the Lakers,” he stated. “No additional feedback.”
Dončić, clearly, is simply making an attempt to maneuver ahead together with his profession. Now, with Harrison out of the group, Mavericks followers may have the ability to begin to do the identical.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder roll over Lakers
Although the Lakers held on within the opening minutes on Wednesday night time, they didn’t stand a lot of an opportunity. The Thunder rattled off a 16-2 run halfway via the primary quarter to seize a 12-point lead on the first break, after which they doubled up the Lakers within the second quarter to take a 32-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
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Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgerous-Alexander had 18 factors within the first half alone whereas taking pictures 6-of-10 from the sector. Dončić, in the meantime, was the one Lakers participant to hit double figures within the first 24 minutes. He had 11 factors after taking pictures 4-of-13 from the sector. They went simply 3-of-13 from the 3-point line as a bunch, too.
From there, the Lakers by no means recovered. The Thunder pushed their lead by 4 factors by the top of the third quarter, after which rolled to the 29-point blowout win. They now sit at 12-1 on the season, which is the perfect report within the league and simply the perfect report within the Western Convention. They’re an ideal 6-0 on the Paycom Heart, too.
Dončić completed with 19 factors and shot 7-of-20 from the sector whereas making only a single 3-pointer. Austin Reaves added 13 factors and 5 rebounds, and Dalton Knecht added 16 factors off the bench. The Lakers, now 8-4 on the season, will tackle the New Orleans Pelicans subsequent on Friday night time within the fourth recreation of a five-game highway journey.
Gilgeous-Alexander ended up with 30 factors within the win for Oklahoma Metropolis. He had 9 assists and 5 rebounds, too. Ajay Mitchell completed with 14 factors, and Isaiah Joe added 21 factors off the bench late. The Thunder will journey to North Carolina subsequent on Saturday to tackle the Charlotte Hornets.
