The Los Angeles Lakers handed the Dallas Mavericks a 107-99 loss on Tuesday night, putting a dent in the Mavs’ momentum as they continue to adjust following their massive trade deadline move.

While former Maverick Luka Doncic delivered another impressive performance for the Lakers with a 19-point, 15-rebound and 12-assist triple-double, some postgame buzz centered around an unexpected off-court question: Doncic’s thoughts on Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.

This was Doncic’s first game against his former team. When asked if he had seen Harrison during his pregame workout, Doncic was blunt in his response.

“I didn’t see him in warmups,” he said, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

During the postgame press conference, Doncic was also asked whether he had ever experienced anything like the trade that sent him to the Lakers, to which he replied, “Definitely not.”

While Dallas remains in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, the team’s chemistry and future trajectory are in question. Harrison, instrumental in the team’s roster-building efforts, has faced increased scrutiny amid the Mavericks’ struggles and injuries to key players.

Doncic’s brief but telling responses suggest a level of detachment from the organization he led to the NBA Finals last season.

As his old team regroups following the loss, Doncic and the Lakers will have to focus on the next game and their path to the postseason.

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This story was originally published February 26, 2025 at 5:38 AM.