Lakers' Luka Dončić shows off MVP stuff against Mavericks in first meeting with Cooper Flagg
LOS ANGELES — The visual dissonance of Luka Dončić wearing Lakers gold has largely faded for the Crypto.com Arena faithful, replaced by the familiar roar that accompanies his brilliance. But for the visiting Dallas Mavericks, Friday night offered a stark, painful reminder of the franchise-altering blockbuster that reshaped the league nine months ago. In a 129-119 victory that pushed Los Angeles to 14-4, Dončić didn’t just defeat his former team; he dismantled them with the surgical precision of an MVP frontrunner.
The narrative entering the evening centered on the first-ever meeting between Dončić and Cooper Flagg, the rookie sensation Dallas selected first overall with the pick obtained in the lottery aftermath of the trade. Flagg, tasked with the impossible burden of filling Dončić’s shoes, showed flashes of the two-way versatility that made him the consensus top prospect. The 18-year-old finished with a commendable 13 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, refusing to shrink under the bright lights.
However, the gap between a future star and a current master was evident. After Flagg buried a confident midrange jumper over Dončić in the second quarter, the Lakers superstar responded immediately. Dončić isolated the rookie on the next possession, burying a step-back three that sucked the air out of the Mavericks' bench. It was part of a 35-point, 11-assist, 5-rebound masterclass that underscored why the Lakers are currently the class of the West.
"I think he's a good player," Dončić said of Flagg postgame. "Obviously, there's a lot of pressure that comes with the first pick... but I think he will be a great player."
Lost in the Dončić show was the return of Anthony Davis, who posted 12 points for Dallas in his first game back in Los Angeles since the swap. But with the Mavericks falling to 5-15 and the Lakers riding a six-game win streak, the verdict on the floor was clear. Dallas has its future in Flagg, but Los Angeles, led by the league’s leading scorer, owns the present.
The narrative entering the evening centered on the first-ever meeting between Dončić and Cooper Flagg, the rookie sensation Dallas selected first overall with the pick obtained in the lottery aftermath of the trade. Flagg, tasked with the impossible burden of filling Dončić’s shoes, showed flashes of the two-way versatility that made him the consensus top prospect. The 18-year-old finished with a commendable 13 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, refusing to shrink under the bright lights.
However, the gap between a future star and a current master was evident. After Flagg buried a confident midrange jumper over Dončić in the second quarter, the Lakers superstar responded immediately. Dončić isolated the rookie on the next possession, burying a step-back three that sucked the air out of the Mavericks' bench. It was part of a 35-point, 11-assist, 5-rebound masterclass that underscored why the Lakers are currently the class of the West.
"I think he's a good player," Dončić said of Flagg postgame. "Obviously, there's a lot of pressure that comes with the first pick... but I think he will be a great player."
Lost in the Dončić show was the return of Anthony Davis, who posted 12 points for Dallas in his first game back in Los Angeles since the swap. But with the Mavericks falling to 5-15 and the Lakers riding a six-game win streak, the verdict on the floor was clear. Dallas has its future in Flagg, but Los Angeles, led by the league’s leading scorer, owns the present.
