👋 Good morning! - If you are living under a rock then let me tell you that Super Bowl LX is set as the Patriots will battle the Seahawks. - Ali Jawad

North Texas was basically a skating rink, but that didn’t stop Mavericks fans from packing into American Airlines Center for the one thing they had to see: Luka Dončić back in the building.

Dallas traded him last February, yet it felt like the city never emotionally moved on, not even with Cooper Flagg giving the franchise a new face to rally around.

Lakers fans traveled too, and the arena turned into a weird mix of nostalgia, heartbreak, and “wait… are we cheering for the other team?” every time Luka so much as breathed.

Dončić gave the crowd the full show, tunnel photos, social media moments, the signature pregame halfcourt bomb, and a chorus of cheers after nearly every bucket.

JJ Redick even admitted the return hits different, saying the weight of Luka coming back to the AAC will follow him for the rest of his career. And of course, Luka didn’t just soak it in… he took it personally.

Dallas threw double teams at him all night, but it didn’t matter, 33 points, 11 assists, eight boards, and every big moment somehow ended up in his hands.

The Mavericks made it interesting late thanks to strong nights from Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, and Naji Marshall, but the ending was brutally poetic: Luka slammed the door himself by drawing a charge to seal a 116-110 Lakers win.

Mikko Rantanen’s return felt like a mystery all day at the AAC — flu, line rush drama, and then suddenly No. 96 is in the lineup as Dallas fought through the chaos.

Even without a point from Rantanen, the Stars’ power play delivered early and Jason Robertson kept drawing penalties until the Blues finally cracked.

Then with exactly one minute left, Robertson did what he always does: buried the game-winner in tight to steal a gritty 3-2 win and send Dallas home safe and smiling.

Nice try Philly

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Ali Jawad
Dallas Cowboys ​Content Creator/Newsletter Writer
[email protected]