“I know the fans are going to appreciate me being back here. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to feel, but I’m just excited to be back.”After the loss against the Thunder, Luka Doncic opened up by not being sure about his return to the American Airlines Center. The emotional return did not hamper his performance as he powered the Lakers to a 112-97 win over the Mavericks. Despite his game-high efforts, Magic Johnson made sure to credit the 26-year-old’s teammate for equally contributing towards the win.

“Luka’s homecoming was special! He put on a spectacular show of his talent scoring 31 points by halftime and 45 points overall and received a rousing standing ovation from Mavericks fans before the game and at the end.” Doncic scored a game-high 45 points with eight rebounds and six assists in the Lakers on Wednesday night. On X, Magic Johnson then revealed the true hero of the night, and it was none other than King James.

“The true hero tonight was LeBron James – he dominated the fourth quarter with 13 points to seal the victory for the Lakers!” All eyes were on Doncic throughout the night, and he shot 16-for-28 from the field and 7-for-10 from three-point range. But it was LeBron’s 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter that helped them see off the Mavericks. His performance reflected his quotes about supporting his teammate on an emotional return.

LeBron on being there for Doncic as a team tonight: “Our only concern was to support him,” Mike Trudell on X. His first time back after the trade was always going to be emotional; the home crowd showed him nothing but love, despite him being a member of the visiting team. Even the Slovenian credited his teammates for having his back.

“I don’t know how I did it because when I was watching that video, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.’ But, you know, all my teammates had my back. They were really supporting me.” Doncic had 14 points in the second half, and LeBron added 19 points after a slow start of 8 points in the first half. But it was not the only time when Magic Johnson appreciated the closure just a few days before.

King James’ saving grace had Magic Johnson hyped

With the recent win over the Mavericks, the Lakers guaranteed themselves a top-six spot in the Western Conference playoffs! Meaning they will automatically avoid the play-in round. But just a few matches before, their position was not this clear. After all, the team suffered back-to-back 3 straight losses. But a LeBron James buzzer-beater got the Lakers legend all excited.

“What a thrilling finish with LeBron James’ putback! It sealed a much-needed victory for the Lakers against the Pacers.” Magic Johnson was ecstatic over the Lakers’ win on X. To recap the action, Luka Doncic’s floater rolled off the rim, setting the stage for LeBron’s heroics. The King was ready, timing his jump to perfection and tapping the ball in to secure a nail-biting 120-119 victory. During that game, too, the Akron native had a slow start. By the fourth quarter, he had just three points. What transpired in the fourth quarter was just “Cometh the hour, cometh the man.”

In classic LeBron fashion, he turned it up when it mattered, finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. This once again proves he will come through, no matter what. He did the same in the recent game against the Mavericks. James made sure to add the finishing touches not to spoil Luka Doncic’s emotional return and a dominating performance.