Luka Doncic's masterclass revenge game ended in the most fitting way imaginable

Last night's game against the Los Angeles Lakers was the most highly anticipated regular-season game in Dallas Mavericks history. It wasn't just any regular-season game against the Lakers. It was a historic night that fans watching in the arena and at home will never forget.

It was Luka Doncic's return to Dallas to play the Mavericks at his old stomping grounds for the first time as a member of the Lakers. This is a moment that Mavericks fans and Doncic himself never thought they would have to go through, as Doncic wanted to spend his entire career in Dallas, and fans wanted the exact same thing.

Doncic's return game went exactly how Mavericks fans expected, as he couldn't be stopped and finished with 45 points on 7-10 shooting from downtown while Anthony Davis, the man he was traded for, looked disengaged and finished with a measly 13 points. The American Airlines Center crowd flooded Doncic with cheers all night long, and this was seemingly not a Mavericks home game; it was a Luka home game.

Mavs fans flood Doncic with cheers, then erupt in loud "fire Nico" chant

The loudest the stadium got was after Doncic's tribute video as he wiped away tears, "fire Nico" chants throughout the game, and a "Luka" chant after he checked out of the game, and his night ended in the most fitting way possible right after he checked out of the game and sat back down on the bench.

The cheers that he got as he walked off the floor were deafening, and he responded by clapping and humbly pumping his fists to show his appreciation for Mavs fans. Right after those cheers and the "Luka" chant ended, fans immediately went back to showing their anger towards Harrison. He was the one responsible for the move going down, and plainly, he's the reason those standing ovations that Doncic gets didn't continue, except as a member of the Mavericks.

The AAC crowd erupted with the loudest "fire Nico" chant of the night, and this chant was heard loud and clear from the Lakers press conference room as countless media members awaited their chance to speak with the man that Harrison traded away, Luka Doncic. While these chants occurred during every stoppage over the entire course of the game, the one as Doncic checked out of the game had a different feel to it. This chant and the timing of it reflect how every Mavericks fan feels about Harrison's decision to trade Doncic, and this move should have never happened.

No one wanted this move to happen except for Harrison, and although ownership eventually signed off on it, Patrick Dumont laughed the first time that he was presented with the idea of trading Doncic. Even Dumont didn't think that Harrison was serious when he first told him, and it still doesn't feel real, almost two and a half months later. It was a move that won't ever make sense, and Mavericks fans may never recover from it.

When you luck into drafting a generational superstar like the Mavericks did in 2018 with Doncic, you do whatever it takes to make sure that he wants to remain with your team for eternity. You show him all the love in the world, build around him, and push to win the NBA Finals with him every year. NBA teams struggle all the time when trying to keep their superstars happy, but that wasn't the case in Dallas.

Doncic loved the Mavericks like Mavericks fans loved him, but the man in charge didn't feel the same way. Harrison, with little to no accountability considering the trust the ownership group has instilled in him, decided to make the most shocking move in NBA history, ripping out Mavericks fans' hearts as well as Doncic's.

This move destroyed the Mavericks' present and future, and all Mavericks fans will back Doncic now and forever, while Harrison has become someone who Mavs fans will resent.