Luka DonÄić didn’t really want to get into his old general manager.
The Los Angeles Lakers star, fresh off a blowout 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, was asked about the Dallas Mavericks’ move to fire general manager Nico Harrison — the same man that traded him to the Lakers ahead of the deadline last season.
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“I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t,” DonÄić said. “That’ll always be a special place for me, always I can call it home. But right now I’m focused on the Lakers, trying to move on.”
The Mavericks officially fired Harrison on Tuesday, roughly nine months after he dealt DonÄić to the Lakers in a deal that absolutely rocked the Mavericks fan base. Harrison simply couldnâ€t win them back over, even after picking up Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft earlier this summer, and fans even pelted him with “Fire Nico!†chants on Monday night while the Mavericks were in position to beat the Milwaukee Bucks. That has been a constant rallying cry for Mavericks fans ever since the DonÄić trade, and it finally became too much for the teamâ€s ownership group to deal with.
DonÄić was also stunned that night in February. He said later that he threw his phone after hanging up the call.
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“Sadness, mostly,†DonÄić said in April, reflecting back on how he felt in that moment. “I was still in shock, like, crazy shock. I felt my heart was broken, honestly.â€
Though the trade left the Mavericks organization in turmoil, DonÄić picked up right where he left off in Los Angeles. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 28 games with the team last season and helped them reach the playoffs for a third straight year.
He entered Wednesdayâ€s game averaging 37.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game, too. DonÄić put up 43 points in their season-opener, dropped 49 points in their first win of the season and had a triple-double in a win over the Miami Heat earlier this month. Though he missed a little time with minor finger and lag injuries, DonÄić has been just as dominant as heâ€s been throughout his NBA career already this fall.
Asked directly if he could ever see himself playing for the Mavericks organization again in the future, especially now that Harrison is gone, DonÄić didn’t answer.
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“Right now I’m just focused on the Lakers,” he said. “No further comments.”
DonÄić, clearly, is just trying to move forward with his career. Now, with Harrison out of the organization, Mavericks fans might be able to start to do the same.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder roll over Lakers
Though the Lakers held on in the opening minutes on Wednesday night, they didnâ€t stand much of a chance. The Thunder rattled off a 16-2 run midway through the first quarter to grab a 12-point lead at the first break, and then they doubled up the Lakers in the second quarter to take a 32-point lead into the locker room at halftime.
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Reigning league MVP Shai Gilgerous-Alexander had 18 points in the first half alone while shooting 6-of-10 from the field. DonÄić, meanwhile, was the only Lakers player to hit double figures in the first 24 minutes. He had 11 points after shooting 4-of-13 from the field. They went just 3-of-13 from the 3-point line as a group, too.
From there, the Lakers never recovered. The Thunder pushed their lead by four points by the end of the third quarter, and then rolled to the 29-point blowout win. They now sit at 12-1 on the season, which is the best record in the league and easily the best record in the Western Conference. They are a perfect 6-0 at the Paycom Center, too.
DonÄić finished with 19 points and shot 7-of-20 from the field while making just a single 3-pointer. Austin Reaves added 13 points and five rebounds, and Dalton Knecht added 16 points off the bench. The Lakers, now 8-4 on the season, will take on the New Orleans Pelicans next on Friday night in the fourth game of a five-game road trip.
Gilgeous-Alexander ended up with 30 points in the win for Oklahoma City. He had nine assists and five rebounds, too. Ajay Mitchell finished with 14 points, and Isaiah Joe added 21 points off the bench late. The Thunder will travel to North Carolina next on Saturday to take on the Charlotte Hornets.
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