Doncic a winner in Lakers debut

LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic made a winning start to his Los Angeles Lakers career on Monday, returning from injury with 14 points for his new team in a 132-113 drubbing of the Utah Jazz.

Slovenian superstar Doncic – who was traded to the Lakers by the Dallas Mavericks earlier this month in one of the most jaw-dropping deals in NBA history – was playing his first game since suffering a calf injury in December.

The 25-year-old saw his time on court limited to 24 minutes, with Lakers head coach J.J. Redick saying beforehand the club would be cautious as they managed Doncic’s fitness.

“I heard a lot of noise when I was introduced – it was a special moment,” Doncic said afterwards of the reception by the Lakers home crowd. “The way they received me, it was amazing to see.

“I was a little bit nervous before the game but once I stepped onto the court it was fun. Just being out there again felt amazing.”

There was a fleeting scare in the first quarter when Doncic required treatment to his left calf before heading to the locker room early in the quarter.

But the five-time All-Star returned to the court before eventually leaving the game late in the third quarter with the Lakers in control leading 93-69.

In his time on court Doncic showed plenty of glimpses of the class that the Lakers hope will lead the team into a new era.

He scored his first points as a Laker with a superb 26-foot three-pointer in the first quarter, and combined well throughout with LeBron James, who finished with 24 points.

Doncic drew one of the loudest roars of the night after unleashing a length-of-the-court pass to James for a score in the first half.

He later said he believes his understanding with the 40-year-old icon could cause problems for the rest of the league.

“He sees the way game in a different way to a lot of people and his IQ is insane,” Doncic said. “To have two guys like that on the court is going to help the team.”

The Lakers improved to 32-19 with the victory and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference. Utah fell to 12-40 and are one place off the bottom of the table.