Luka Dončić cries in his return to Dallas, but later scores a season high against former club

It's been two months since Luka Dončić, the star player from Dallas Mavericks, the Slovenian that was loved by everyone in Texas, suddenly jumped ship and joined Los Angeles Lakers, in a shocking trade with Anthony Davis that was done behind the players' backs. Since then, Dončić has helped the franchise improve in the second half of the season, securing a play-off spot (finishing in the top six of the Western Conference) with two games still remaining on the regular season.

Wednesday in Dallas was a special night, as it was the first time Dončić visited the American Airlines Center in Dallas as a visitor, in a match between Lakers and Mavericks that was preceded by a tribute to their former player, which left him in tears. Spectators were given free shirts saying "Hvala za vse" ("thank you for everything in Slovenian) and cheered him, even at the beginning of the match, whenever he touched the ball.

But that didn't make him hold back, and he recorded a career high 45 points, ensuring a a 112-97 win for Lakers. Despite the defeat, Dallas Mavericks secured a play-in spot when Oklahoma City Thunder defeated Phoenix Suns.

That was not the first time that Dončić has faced his former team with Lakers, but it was the first time that he did it at his former home.

The match happened just one day before a match against Oklahoma City Thunder in which Dončić was expelled for supposedly insulting a referee, although Dončić said that he was talking to an annoying spectator.