Luka Dončić’s incredible return to Dallas, plus a Masters cheat sheet

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Good morning! Still thinking about Declan Rice’s free kicks from Tuesday.

Yes, It’s Still Real: The grim spectacle of Luka’s return

Last night in Dallas, the game mattered. The Lakers entered as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, but one game out from falling into the Play-In. Very important stuff. But the moment was bigger. So much bigger. 

This was Luka Dončić’s return to where he began his career and where he planned to spend the rest of it in a Mavericks uniform before the team traded him to the Lakers two months ago. The 26-year-old is still beloved in the city, a superstar ripped away from a fan base over silly internal squabbles with general manager Nico Harrison. Mavericks fans are wearing Dončić’s No. 77 Lakers jersey in protest. 

So yes, a playoff atmosphere. But the emotions were higher. I can’t recall a moment like this, to be honest. A superstar in his prime returning to the city where people adore him and detest the general manager. Just look at Dončić during the Mavericks’ tribute video:

Luka Dončić was moved to tears while watching his tribute video from the Mavericks 🥹

🎥 @NBATVpic.twitter.com/btW749ULbk

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 9, 2025

Just … man. He’s crying! I feel gutted for Mavericks fans, and I’m not anywhere close to a fan. It still all feels wrong to me, which I confirmed with The Bounce’s Zach Harper: 

💬 Multiple times tonight, my closest group chat had moments in which one of us still marveled that he’s on the Lakers. Nobody in this chat is a Lakers fan. There are times it hits you watching them play, and it feels like you’re a few years into simulating a franchise mode in a video game and something completely unrealistic has happened with the rosters. After watching him watch that tribute video during the introductions, I think he doesn’t believe it either. It truly might be the most inexplicable trade ever. Not just at the time. But in an enduring way.

Oh, right, the game. The Lakers won, 112-97, maintaining their hold on the No. 3 spot in the standings. Dončić was clearly juiced by the reception, scoring 31 in the first half alone before finishing with 45 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Imagine getting rid of that guy.  

I also asked Christian Clark, our excellent Mavericks writer, what it was like in the arena last night: 

💬 It was a Luka love fest, mixed in with vociferous “Fire Nico” chants throughout the game. He was clearly emotional, welling up with tears before the game, but after tipoff he was, for the most part, even-keeled. He reminded fans why they love him so much.

B-r-u-t-a-l. The Lakers are a legit title contender right now. The Mavericks … are not. 

Let’s ease up on Dallas fans for today. Onward:

Things You Need to See: Bonk, bonk, oops

Baseball may be the sport most susceptible to bizarre plays. In yesterday’s Pirates-Cardinals game, something happened that I truly have a hard time describing. Just look at this:

This just happened. #Pirates pic.twitter.com/ZnfjRBk30V https://t.co/NzNxfK3IZB

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) April 9, 2025

For those counting, that’s: 

• An embarrassing error for the Pirates, followed by
• An even worse play from Cardinals infielder Thomas Saggese, who tried to steal a run. 

So good to have baseball back. The Pirates won 2-1, too. Game-saving play! Let’s keep going: 

News to Know

Hill involved in domestic disturbance
Police responded to a domestic incident between Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his wife, Keeta, at the couple’s residence in Florida yesterday. Hill, who has a history of legal issues, was not arrested, though he is described in the police report as “angry and agitated.” Read our full story.

More news

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Par 3: Hello, friends

Is spring the best part of the sports calendar? I’m realizing how many times we’ve written about beautiful sports days in the last month. March Madness, MLB Opening Day and now, the Masters. Another great sports weekend. 

The first round tees off shortly. Three tiers of things you need to know: 

1. The storylines: Scottie, Rory and the LIV guys
Scottie Scheffler is here as the defending champion and winner in two of the last three Masters. He is unquestionably the best golfer in the world right now, but he hasn’t won this year — though all of his six starts ended in top-25 finishes, and he claimed second place last week at the Texas Open. 

Scheffler is a handyman, as Gabby Herzig pointed out, which makes him perfect for Augusta National. 

As for Rory McIlroy, he remains an elite golfer who cannot finish the career grand slam. Expect him to be in contention. Meanwhile, LIV is still exporting the reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who has been ace in recent majors. 

2. The not-so-sneaky contenders: Ludvig, Xander and Collin
Ludvig Åberg was one shot away from winning the tournament last year in his first appearance, and if you read Brody Miller’s story this week, the even-keeled Swede looks primed for another good weekend. 

Collin Morikawa is maybe the best player ever to play at Augusta without a win, as Justin Ray pointed out. He should be feared this weekend. The same goes for Xander Schauffele, who won two majors last year in the shadow of Scheffler’s greatness. 

3. The best bets
Amos Morale III has a full list of best bets, but his nod to Min Woo Lee (+4000 to win, per BetMGM) moved me. Lee won his first PGA Tour tourney a couple of weeks ago, but has been one of the best golfers in the sport over the last year. Plus, he’s very funny on social media, and the edits that will surface for a Lee win will be outstanding. 

Two other stories to read before we head to the first tee: 

As of send time, the first golfers tee off in about two hours (7:40 a.m. ET). Keep up with our live blog throughout the day.

What to Watch

📺 Golf: The Masters
8:45 a.m. ET on ESPN+ and Masters.com
Coverage begins on ESPN+, with the Masters itself picking up some groups around 9:15 a.m. Just have it on in the background. Here’s a full guide to Day 1 viewing. 

📺 NBA: Timberwolves at Grizzlies
9:30 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
These teams are still jockeying for playoff seeding, and I simply want to see what celebration Ja Morant pulls out next. 

Get tickets to games like these here.

Pulse Picks

Two college baseball teams entered a doubleheader against each other Tuesday sporting losing streaks of 99 and 42 games, respectively. They both left winners. Incredible story here. 

They’re calling it LeKen Doll: LeBron James is the first pro athlete to become a Ken Doll in the Barbie universe. See it here. 

I loved this story about the American student who boarded the wrong boat in London and came away with a new soccer fandom and a crew of friends. I want to be him. 

Ken Rosenthal’s story on Baltimore’s lack of response after losing Corbin Burnes was intriguing (and depressing for Orioles fans). 

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: “The Beast,” of course.

Related: The Athletic Football Show digs into the most polarizing players in the draft. Watch and learn and nerd out.

Most-read on the website yesterday: The Beast, baby.

Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Top photo: Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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