SAN FRANCISCO – Shortly after their 126-102 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks had already shifted their focus to the next challenge.
That challenge comes on Tuesday when they travel to face Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers. Dončić, who was traded from the Mavs to the Lakers on February 2 in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round draft pick, will now be facing his former team.
Mavs forward P.J. Washington expects nothing less than a high-level performance from Dončić.
“I expect him to bring his ‘A’ game knowing the player that he is and the mentality that he brings to the game,” Washington said. “I know he’s going to be ready as soon as we get out there.
“Obviously, we can’t wait to compete against him.”
Before the trade, Dončić played 22 games for the Mavs this season, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. His final game with Dallas—after they acquired him in a draft-day trade with the Atlanta Hawks in 2018—was on Christmas, when he suffered a left calf strain against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Mavs guard Kyrie Irving noted that the matchup will feature several elite players, including one of his former teammates, LeBron James, who helped him lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the 2016 NBA title.
But despite James being on the floor for the Lakers, the spotlight will be on Dončić and how the Mavs plan to contain him.
“Outside of just the obvious of us being in LA and (the Mavs) being a former team of Luka’s, obviously the narrative is already written,” Irving said. “I don’t know what else I can really add to that.
“I’m pretty much focused and telling my guys just to focus on a high-level game that we got to win.”
Washington is likely to be one of the players assigned to guard Dončić, a challenge he has likely faced before in practice.
“Yeah, but at the end of the day it’s Luka and we know how good he is,” Washington said. “Everybody knows how good he is.
“He’s tough to contain, tough to slow down. But at the end of the day we’re just going to have to go out there and give it our best shot and hopefully we’ll come out with a W.”
That’s the plan.
Even though the game will attract Hollywood’s elite, Irving remains focused on the bigger picture—securing a win. Dončić enters the matchup in top form, having put up 32 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four steals in Saturday’s 123-100 victory over Denver.
“I would love to get into the emotions after the game with you, but before the game it’s just about having fun and making sure that we lock in and have a deep focus,” Irving said. “They’re going to come in and be ready to play against us.
“Luka obviously is going to have a lot of confidence that game. He played last game, so he’s feeling good. We just got to be aware of it.”
Washington knows what’s at stake.
“We miss him, but at the end of the day he’s our brother and obviously we’re always going to love him,” Washington said. “We just got to go out there and compete against him.
“It’s going to be a great game. I’m excited and I think everybody is excited to go out there and play against him for the first time. Obviously, I haven’t seen him since the trade, so I think it’s going to be a big game for us and everybody is excited.”
Warriors Retire Iguodala’s Jersey
Following Sunday’s game, the Golden State Warriors honored former forward Andre Iguodala by retiring his No. 9 jersey.
Iguodala, who played for the Warriors from 2013-2019 and then again from 2021-2023, played a crucial role in helping them secure four NBA championships. He was named Finals MVP in 2015 when the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers.
During the ceremony, Warriors coach Steve Kerr reflected on Iguodala’s contributions while a large image of him celebrating the 2017 NBA championship loomed in the background.
“The main thing when I see that photo is just recognizing how much Andre meant to us on and off the court, just the sacrifices he made for the good of the group, (and) the incredible high IQ play at both ends was just critical for our success,” Kerr said. “Andre and I will always have a special connection given our University of Arizona experience playing for coach (Lute) Olson and seeing the game in a very similar way.
“I’ll always be grateful for coaching him.”
