Los Angeles Lakers point guard Isaiah Thomas received a warm ovation from Purple and Gold Nation when he checked into Friday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks.

As most hoops fans know, Thomas, 29, came to Southern California by way of the Cleveland Cavaliers' trade deadline moves. Friday marked the first time he would play inside the Staples Center as a member of the Lakers.

“It was nice,” Thomas told Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints during his post-game media availability. “To get an ovation, to finally be on the home team in LA… It was a nice feeling. I have always thought of having that feeling. I know my family back home is definitely happy about it. I am just glad that we got the win.”

Thomas played 25 minutes in Friday's 124-102 win over the Mavs, scoring 17 points on 5-12 shooting from the field (2-7 from beyond the arc), four assists, two rebounds, and two steals — all while remaining perfect from the charity stripe (5-5).

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With his team leading by 17 points in the third quarter and time on the clock expiring, Thomas knocked down a fading buzzer-beater to squash any hopes of a Mavs comeback.

Despite making 19 of their 42 three-point attempts, the Mavs found themselves defeated for the third consecutive game.

“I've never seen a team make 19 3s and lose by over 20, so this is new for me,” Mavs head coach said via the Associated Press after Friday's game. “It has to be about more than making shots, and tonight we got outrebounded. They played with great force tonight and we just did not.”

The Lakers, now the third-ranked team in the Pacific Division standings with a 24-34 overall record, will wrap up their current back-to-back set with a match-up against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night inside the Golden 1 Center. Tip-off is set for 10:00 p.m. EST.