Luka Dončić made a spectacular debut for the Los Angeles Lakers, leading them to a resounding 132-113 victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night. The 25-year-old star received a warm welcome from the crowd at Crypto.com Arena, who were given No. 77 Dončić T-shirts to commemorate his arrival following a blockbuster trade on February 2. “It was special,” Dončić said of his first game in Lakers colors. Despite some rust from not playing since Christmas Day due to a calf strain, Dončić managed to contribute 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in just 24 minutes of play. His three-pointer early in the game elicited a thunderous response from the fans. Dončić shared the court with LeBron James, who returned with an impressive performance of 24 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Lakers secured their sixth straight win in a dominating fashion against the Jazz. Notable personalities like Adele, Will Ferrell, and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers were in attendance, along with Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki expressed his support for Dončić’s new journey, while Mavericks fans have shown discontent with the trade that brought Dončić to LA. The Mavericks have faced backlash following an injury to Anthony Davis, who was part of the trade deal. As both teams prepare for a rematch on Wednesday, the anticipation for more thrilling contests is high.
According to a team spokesperson, two fans who were ejected from the game held signs saying “Fire Nico,” as reported by ESPN. Mavericks vice president of corporate communications, Erin Finegold, stated that the first incident involved a guest displaying a sign that violated the NBA Code of Conduct by showing explicit language or derogatory content towards individuals. This resulted in the ejection of the fans. Additionally, two other men, one wearing Dončić’s Slovenian national team jersey, were also removed from the game following a heated exchange with Mavs minority owner Mark Cuban, according to ESPN. Finegold explained that in the second incident, a fan was wearing a T-shirt that violated the rules and was also behaving disruptively, intoxicated, and uncooperative, as outlined in the NBA Fan Code of Conduct.
CNN has reached out to the Mavericks for further comment on the matter. The Mavericks faced further setbacks on Monday when center Daniel Gafford suffered a right knee sprain and had to be assisted off the court during the second quarter after setting a screen for Spencer Dinwiddie. With Gafford’s injury, Dallas will be missing key frontcourt players, including Davis, Lively II, and Powell.
As of now, Dallas holds the eighth spot in the Western Conference with a record of 28-26, narrowly ahead of the Kings and the Golden State Warriors, both of whom have won their last two games. For more news and updates from CNN, sign up for an account on CNN.com.
