The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, 112-97. It was a highly emotional night as Lakers superstar Luka Doncic made his long-awaited return to Dallas. It was the first time Doncic played in Dallas since the blockbuster trade that sent Doncic west in exchange for Anthony Davis.

While Davis might not have had a night to remember, Doncic certainly did. In fact, it was a historic evening of sorts.

At halftime, Doncic had 31 points with six made threes. He became just the third Lakers player since the 1997-1998 season to accomplish that feat, joining LeBron James (1) and Kobe Bryant, who did so six times.

The Slovenia native ultimately finished with 45 points on a highly efficient 16-for-28 from the floor. He also chipped in with eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals in the win.

It was a massive win for the Lakers. They officially clinched a playoff spot, and no longer need to worry about falling into the play-in tournament. But it was already unlikely that would happen.

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But another thing the win means is that the Lakers are closing in on clinching the #3 seed in the Western Conference. They are now 49-31, 1.5 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Memphis Grizzlies, who are all 47-32. The Minnesota Timberwolves are one game back of that.

In a stacked West, earning home court in the first round could prove crucial. Assuming the Lakers finish as the third seed, they will host one of the aforementioned teams. That would be an ideal spot for Los Angeles.

Were they to survive a battle in the first round, a road date in Houston is not the worst case. The Rockets are uber talented, but are extremely young and even with home court advantage in that series, the Lakers will certainly be favorites.

That is especially true if Luka Doncic plays the way he did Wednesday night.