Luka's storybook revenge moment

Good morning. Luka Doncic posits what it would be like if The Count of Monte Cristo were a fairy tale. Plus: Harrison Barnes screwed the Warriors (complimentary), the Nuggets won a fired coach bounce game and more. Let's basketball.

If you were turning the Luka Doncic saga into a Disney sports movie ... well, first of all, that'd be weird. Giannis Antetokounmpo's story was fit for Disney. Luka's story is a bit more Netflix or Max. The stream of swear words that pours out of his mouth in various languages, and his general demeanor give Luka a different tone than Giannis. But in any case, if you made the Luka saga into a movie, and you wanted to make Doncic a babyface in the story, you'd write his Wednesday return to Dallas almost exactly how it played out.

First, Luka openly wept during introductions when the Mavericks played a 4-minute tribute video. He couldn't watch. After the game, he said that while weeping he briefly thought he wouldn't be able to play.

Then, amid a series of loud "Fire Nico" chants and louder cheers all night, Luka had one of his best games of the season. He finished with 45 points – 31 in the first half – as the Lakers triumphed. The Dallas crowd gave him a standing ovation when he checked out for the final time.

Watching that performance not only reasserts Luka's excellence, but makes me really wonder if there's any coming back for this iteration of the Mavericks and more specifically, for Nico Harrison. As I've written before, sports franchises are first and foremost local entertainment attractions, like a regional theme park or theater company. The dude in charge turned nearly all of the most dedicated customers of that attraction against the brand (and more specifically, against him).

It will be a process to win them all back, and that process will need include success without Luka (Dallas is just about locked into the No. 10 seed and a single-elimination game in Sacramento to have a chance to make the playoffs, and Kyrie Irving will miss a portion of next season, so success might be delayed) and you need to correct the mistakes of the past. Which means replacing Harrison. There just cannot be any coming back for Harrison at this point, and it will become all the more clear should Luka help carry the Lakers deep into the playoffs, potentially even toward a championship. Every one of those fans knew Harrison was wrong when he made a win-now trade sending out the reigning Western Conference Finals MVP. They are being proven unequivocally correct within months of the move. Harrison's tenure simply cannot survive this.

Unfortunately, powerful people have trouble admitting when they're wrong, so I'd expect Patrick Dumont, one of the more bellicose NBA franchisees introduced to us in recent years, to stick with Harrison until things quiet down. Ironically, Harrison has a high hit record as GM. The miss is just so enormous that you can't see the makes.

Scores

Sixers 122, Wizards 103 | Box Score | Sixers win! They will not end the season on a double-digit losing streak. This time it wasn't Quentin Grimes or Jared Butler who ruined the tank: it was Jeff Downtin Jr. Philadelphia remains secure in its lottery position provided it doesn't also win its final two games.

Celtics 76, Magic 96 | Box Score | Boston sat the starters and Al Horford, apparently not caring that it makes it more likely they draw Orlando in the first round. The Magic have clinched the No. 7 seed, so they'll be at home in the first play-in round and will get two cracks at a playoff berth.

Lakers 112, Mavericks 97 | Box Score | L.A.'s strategy against scoring bigs – front and recover – worked against Anthony Davis. Dallas doesn't really have the overall team passing to exploit it at this point. Denver is the ultimate test, obviously, but Memphis and Houston could also be challenges.

Hornets 96, Raptors 126 | Box Score

Heat 111, Bulls 119 | Box Score | Chicago (likely) earns the right to do this again at their place next week in the play-in tournament. It's gonna be one of those sequels you see a trailer for and are like, " .... huh. OK."

Blazers 126, Jazz 133 | Box Score | We love when a rookie instills a big dose of hopium in the fan base right before the end of the season. Here's Kyle Filipkowski doing that for the Jazz fandom.

Nuggets 124, Kings 116 | Box Score | Denver mostly looked like Denver in its first game without Michael Malone in charge. There was a modest redistribution of possessions out of Nikola Jokic's hands, but he was still the go-to star down the stretch and the Nuggets' defense was still a little shaky. Jalen Pickett had a season high in points (18) but was getting torched by DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine as the Kings tried to mount a comeback.

Sacramento is down Malik Monk, likely for the season (unless they make an insane run). Keegan Murray might be back for the weekend games, though. A thin team like this can't afford to get much thinner.

Jokic was asked about Malone after the game, and said nothing interesting, because Jokic is really good at giving the media almost nothing.

Thunder 125, Suns 112 | Box Score | OKC sat about half of its rotation ... and still beat Phoenix comfortably. So this is how the Kevin Durant era in Phoenix is going to end: in street clothes, watching Devin Booker try to carry a lousy to the play-in and failing.

The Suns are now eliminated from postseason contention. One of the worst performances by a high-payroll team in years.

Spurs 114, Warriors 111 | Box Score | San Antonio got crazy hot in the fourth (38 points on 13/18 shooting) and Harrison Barnes hit the crazy mute button on the crowd at the buzzer. Incredible shot over Jimmy Butler.

Draymond Green had hit two free throws to tie it. The refs were letting the Warriors defend aggressively down the stretch, and some of the Spurs are not exactly quite yet disciplined – Butler had 17 FTAs. But wow, what a shot. San Antonio just loves ruining the seeding of their final week foes!

Rockets 117, Clippers 134 | Box Score | Houston is locked into the No. 2 seed and sat four of its starters. L.A.'s vaunted defense wasn't at all locked in against the second and third string, so the Rockets kept it at times interesting. James Harden with 35. James Harden for third team All-NBA.

The West Mess, Updated

Here's the updated table.

The Lakers can't fall lower than No. 6 now, but they still need a win to really secure No. 3. Memphis has Minnesota on Thursday and Denver on Friday – those are obviously extremely important games. Keep in mind when looking at this that the Wolves finish with the Nets and Jazz at home. So it may be that the horrible collapse against Milwaukee doesn't totally haunt them. We'll also see whether Golden State (at Blazers, vs. Clipper) can weather their loss to the Spurs.

This is a pretty wild race to the finish.

Schedule

We have five games on Thursday with a TNT doubleheader. All times Eastern. Games with seeding stakes get asterisks.

Knicks at Pistons, 7*
Cavaliers at Pacers, 7, TNT*
Hawks at Nets, 7:30*
Pelicans at Bucks, 8*
Timberwolves at Grizzlies, 9:30***

That's all. Be excellent to each other.