In the basketball world, when you hear the word ‘Showtime’ only one thing comes to mind. It refers to the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers team that dominated the decade by winning 5-champions with an electric pace and a brash style of play that earned them the nickname. It was an era defined by the dazzling moves of Magic Johnson and the acrobatic play of James Worthy. In 2025, the team is looking to return to its former glory after the stunning trade to acquire Luka Doncic. While they are still looking for their James Worthy type of big man, Doncic and Lebron James are a dynamic duo that combines brilliant vision and IQ with cerebral scoring abilities. The transition from Dallas to Los Angeles has been seamless for Doncic. However, the past week has been a rollercoaster, and in this article, we will discuss how wild it got for the man nicknamed “the Don.”
1. Sunday, April 6 Lakers beat Thunder 126-99- after winning two of their 3-game homestand, the Lakers headed on the road for an interesting 3-game trip that started with two games against the Thunder with a rest day in between. It was a daunting matchup for the Lakers because the Thunder have been a juggernaut all season and at one point were on a trajectory to win 70 games. However, the Lakers were desperate to cling to the number 3 seed and needed a win to be in a position to retain it. It would take a special effort to beat the Thunder, and Luka and the Lakers delivered. The Lakers led 78-56 at halftime after making a franchise record fifteen 3-pointers in the first half. It was the most points Oklahoma City has allowed in any half this season. Doncic led the way with 30 points and hit five 3-pointers, most of which were difficult, and well-contested. Doncic finished with a game-high 30 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in an impressive wire-to-wire win that had the basketball abuzz.
2. Tuesday, April 8 Thunder beat Lakers 136-120- the NBA world was locked into this matchup to see whether the Lakers could duplicate their performance from Sunday and how the Thunder would respond to getting dismantled at home. It was even more challenging for the Thunder because they had now lost back-to-back games to the Houston Rockets and the Lakers, who are the number 2 and 3 seeds below them in the conference. There was an electric start to the game, with the Thunder redeeming themselves with an 80-72 at halftime after shooting 64.7% from the field. It matched the fourth-highest point total for an Oklahoma City team in a half. However, the Lakers responded with Luka sinking a deep 3-pointer that put them ahead 88-86 with five minutes left in the third. The Lakers took a 98-97 lead into the fourth quarter. However, after making a basket with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter that gave the Lakers a 108-107 lead, Dončić turned and said something to the courtside fan. Referee J.T. Orr was in the same line of sight and believed Dončić was addressing him and assessed him a second technical foul that ejected him from the game. Doncic had been a technical foul earlier in the game for being critical of a call by the same referee. The bizarre circumstances led to a Lakers collapse because they were outscored 29-12 over the final 7:40. Luka finished with 23 points and five assists but felt he let his team down by getting ejected despite the mistake by the referee. It meant the Lakers only had a precarious one-game lead for the number three seed.
3. Wednesday, April 9 Lakers beat Mavericks 112-97: the Lakers needed to rebound quickly, and they had to do it quickly in facing a Dallas squad on a back-to-back while their opponents had four days rest before the contest. The matchup would be difficult because Luka was facing the team that drafted him 7 years ago and traded him before the deadline in one of the most shocking transactions in league history. It was hard to imagine Luka could perform well after greeting all the staff, former teammates, and fans of his former team. Then, at the player introductions, he was visibly emotional, with tears streaming down his eyes while watching a two-minute tribute video. How Luka could perform after all the pregame festivities? Doncic flipped the switch like most superstars to deliver a virtuoso performance in a Lakers jersey. Doncic scored 45 points and grabbed eight rebounds and six assists in front of a crowd that cheered every move he made more than the home team. At one point, the fans were chanting MVP while he was at the free throw line, while other times, they shouted ‘Fire Nico’ towards the General Manager who traded the superstar. The Mavericks pulled off a 15-2 in the third quarter, but Lebron extinguished their hope by scoring 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. Doncic left the game late in the fourth quarter to a standing ovation from the Dallas faithful, ending a wild 72 hours in the Slovenian’s life.