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Former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas offered a blunt assessment of the highly anticipated showdown between Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis during Wednesday night’s clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. The game marked Doncic’s return to Dallas following the blockbuster February 2 trade that sent Davis and Max Christie to the Mavericks.
The Lakers pulled away with a 112-97 victory, but it was Doncic’s dominant performance that drew sharp commentary from Arenas. Speaking on his show, Arenas mimicked dribble moves while reacting to moments when Davis switched onto Doncic defensively.
“What did Luka do when AD got on him? With the bop, bop, bop… f**k you… bop, bop, bop,” Arenas said, motioning with his hands as if dribbling to mimic Doncic’s movements.
Gilbert Arenas calls out Anthony Davis as Luka Doncic takes over emotional reunion
He continued by highlighting how Doncic seemed to target Davis whenever they were matched up.
“This is who y’all traded me for? Bop, bop, bop. This is who y’all traded me for… that’s every time AD switched on him,” Arenas said. “Every time Luka switched on to AD that bleep actually played defense. He was fronting him, he was doing all that sh*t.”
“This is who y’all traded me for?!… That's every time AD switched on him.”
Gilbert Arenas on Luka Doncic playing against Anthony Davis during the Lakers- Mavs matchup 👀
(via @GilsArenaShow)pic.twitter.com/tWRxQQHPoG
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 12, 2025
Arenas concluded his remarks with a direct summary of what he saw on the court:
“Hey, only one knew the assignment… embarrass the other one.”
Doncic did just that, erupting for 45 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals while shooting 16-of-28 from the field and seven-of-10 from three-point range. He finished with a game-high plus/minus of +26 and appeared in full control throughout his first game back at American Airlines Center since the trade.
Davis, facing his former team for the first time, struggled to find a rhythm offensively. He finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and a block on five-of-13 shooting in 33 minutes of play. Though he contributed on the glass and with playmaking, Davis was unable to match Doncic’s offensive firepower in a game filled with emotional and narrative weight.
Max Christie, also acquired by Dallas in the same trade, provided solid production with 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal while shooting five-for-eight from the field.
Lakers clinch No. 3 seed after 50th win, Mavericks eye Play-In positioning
Following their win over Dallas, the Lakers returned home and secured their 50th win of the season with a 140-109 rout of the Houston Rockets on Friday night. The victory officially clinched the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. It marked Los Angeles’ first 50-win season since their 2019-20 championship run and secured home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012. The Lakers will close out the regular season on Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers (35-46) at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have improved to 39-42 and sit 10th in the West, tied with the Sacramento Kings (39-42). Dallas will conclude its season with a pivotal matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies (47-34) on Sunday. The Mavericks aim to lock in home-court advantage for the 9-vs-10 Play-In game scheduled for April 16.
While postseason implications remain in focus, Wednesday’s game served as a reminder of Doncic’s elite scoring ability — and, as Arenas noted, of who “knew the assignment” in a high-stakes reunion.
