DALLAS — There will always be emotions for Luka Doncic when he returns to Dallas, and there will always be buckets.

Doncic had 33 points and 11 assists, and the Lakers erased a 15-point deficit in the final seven minutes of a 116-110 victory over the Mavericks on Saturday night in the star guard’s second visit to Dallas since his shocking trade to the Lakers almost a calendar year ago.

LeBron James scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, when Rui Hachimura had a four-point play before another 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Lakers in front for good as Doncic improved to 4-0 against his former team.

“Obviously, there’s always going to be emotions,” Doncic said. “I was happy to be back here. I went to my house. I saw my cars. But obviously it’s always going to be emotions. I really appreciate how they cheered for me when I was introduced. It’s always going to be a special place for me.”

Hachimura’s 3-pointer for a 108-106 lead started an 11-2 run that Doncic capped with a driving layup for an eight-point edge, prompting the Slovenian star to turn to his old bench and declare the game over.

“I’m always going to want to win, no matter what,” Doncic said. “But obviously this win is a little different.”

Hachimura finished with 17 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers (27-17) improved to 2-1 on their eight-game Grammy trip (which included a brief return to L.A. for a game against the Clippers).

“I think we were sharing the ball today and Luka was getting double-teamed in the last five minutes. So, I think that was a good look for us,” said Hachimura, who shot 6 for 13 from the field and 4 for 7 from 3-point range. “We talked about how we had to share the ball and find each other and I ended up shooting the last shot. So, yeah, I think it was good by the whole team.”

Lakers coach JJ Redick said the entire team is confident in Hachimura.

“He took his shots tonight,” Redick said. “And we’re all very confident in him. He’s a laser. He’s a fantastic shooter. The four-point play followed by the three, that seven-point swing where we’re down five and go up two in the matter of 30 seconds was huge.”

Marcus Smart had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and Deandre Ayton had nine points to go with 11 rebounds. James added eight rebounds and five assists to his point total.

Max Christie, who came to Dallas along with injured 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis in the trade for Doncic, scored 24 points. Naji Marshall had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Mavericks’ season-best four-game winning streak came to an end. Brandon Williams scored 20 points, Caleb Martin added 17 and Cooper Flagg had 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Mavericks (19-27) outscored the Lakers 41-14 from the start of the third quarter until early in the fourth, turning a 13-point deficit into a 14-point lead. Williams had eight on a 10-2 run to finish the third, which started with a 20-4 Dallas burst.

The lead was 15 points with less than seven minutes remaining when the Lakers started their rally, sparked by James after a slow start had him with a minus-28 rating early in the fourth.

Doncic scored 12 points in the opening quarter to help the Lakers take a 37-28 lead, making two 3-pointers in the period to become the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,500 career 3-pointers made.

“There were still emotions, trust me. But a little bit better, a little bit easier for me,” Doncic said. “How the fans accept me here, it’s unbelievable. I still got a lot of friends here, players, some other people. So I’m happy to be back a little bit.”

The Lakers extended their lead to 55-41 on a LaRavia 3-pointer with 5:18 left in the second quarter and held a 65-52 advantage at halftime.

Dallas began the second half on an 18-4 run and surged ahead 70-69 on Flagg’s floater with 6:36 left in the third quarter. The Mavericks led 87-79 after outscoring the Lakers 35-14 in their dominant third-quarter display, but the Lakers won the fourth, 37-23.

Doncic, who thought he would play his entire career in Dallas, didn’t have to deal with the same emotions as his return visit last season, when he wept on the bench during a tribute video before he was introduced. The NBA’s current scoring leader was 14 for 15 from the free-throw line.

The Lakers’ visit to Chicago on Monday (5 p.m. PT) is the halfway point of an eight-game trip, their longest of the season.

Luka on the emotions of returning to Dallas, the support from the fans, and closing out a hard-fought win with his teammates. pic.twitter.com/zg9XBKf2zN

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 25, 2026

Luka Magic was on full display in the @Lakers road win over Dallas

33 PTS
8 REB
11 AST pic.twitter.com/gt1YLuJCI1

— NBA (@NBA) January 25, 2026

JJ Redick breaks down the errors, the response, and a strong fourth quarter built on defensive activity and smart decisions. pic.twitter.com/rjTXDkDlMr

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 25, 2026

RUI GIVES THE LAKERS THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/2F6icS5miF

— NBA (@NBA) January 25, 2026

LeBron breaks down the comeback, his role as the defensive voice, and the plays that flipped the game late. pic.twitter.com/yAHRW8C1J6

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 25, 2026

“Lock back in.”
Marcus Smart on the fourth-quarter response and making winning plays late. pic.twitter.com/blGQRRNM1g

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 25, 2026