Luka Doncic looks like Luka in Lakers’ win in Denver

Lakers coach JJ Redick told Luka Doncic exactly what he wanted, a “blackout moment” when the superstar gets so lost in a game he starts yelling at no one in particular.

This, in Redick’s mind, would be the signal, the sign that the emotional baggage Doncic has carried since having his life and career upended via a shocking trade was lessening.

“That means he’s back,” Redick said Saturday. “That’s the Luka I know. The killer.”

Redick got his wish in the Lakers’ 123-100 win against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Saturday, Doncic howling at the Lakers’ bench after effortlessly splashing a step-back three. He snapped at a courtside fan early in the second half as he and the Lakers quickly extinguished a Denver rally. And as he relentlessly hunted Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, he scored in the paint and shook his head at the Nuggets to remind them that their plans weren’t working.

He finished with 32 points, his most since Dec. 15, while controlling all the action as the Lakers’ primary ballhandler.

For the first time, at least in any extended sense, Doncic appeared unburdened Saturday in Denver, his antennas fully up as the Lakers faced their first major challenge since they reconfigured their team by trading Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick for him.

Read more: Luka Doncic dominates as Lakers finally end eight-game losing streak in Denver

Doncic and his teammates fought on defense. They won 50-50 balls and gang rebounded. Doncic, on multiple occasions, briefly picked up full court to try to disrupt the opening seconds of a couple of Denver possessions.

“Yeah, I think you can see it, you know, me smiling on the court, having fun,” Doncic said after the win. “JJ told me, you gotta have one, that ‘blackout moment’ you have. So I think I have one. Just felt like me a little bit so I was happy.”

Doncic can be forgiven if the factors he’s been facing had him feeling a little out of sort. First there was the calf strain he suffered on Christmas that kept him off the court for more than a month –—the longest stretch of games he’s missed in his NBA career. He returned to action with a minutes restriction at the same time he was still sorting through the emotional fallout following an unexpected exit from Dallas.

The Mavericks, whom the Lakers face on Tuesday in Los Angeles, traded Doncic because of concerns about his conditioning and health, concerns that were indirect shots at Doncic’s commitment.

Following the trade, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison praised the acquisitions of Davis and Christie, discussing their defensive impact in ways that also could be read as criticisms of the star he sent out.

“Listen, one thing about me, I’m not going to talk bad about any players,” Harrison told reporters after the deal. “I mean, that’s not going to do us or me any good. I just say there’s levels to it. There’s people that fit the culture and there’s people that come in and add to the culture. And those are two distinct things. And I believe the people that [are] coming in are adding to the culture.”

The Lakers and Redick, for their part, have shown no hesitation when it comes to committing to Doncic both in the immediate and for their future. Saturday, the Lakers got great games from LeBron James and Austin Reaves, but it was Doncic driving things.

“I think Luka needs to be the guy that controls the offense,” Redick said. “And Bron and AR, because we’re gonna stagger everybody, they’re gonna have their times to be on the ball. But all three of those guys are very intelligent basketball players and we can create mismatches. We can get teams in the blender.”

Saturday was the Lakers’ offense at its best in the half court with James, Reaves and Doncic picking apart the weakest points of Denver’s defense to create great shots.

“He was super dialed in,” James said of Doncic. “He was very locked in on what he wanted to do out here on the floor tonight. Once he started hitting those step-back threes and got to yelling and barking, either at the fans or at us or himself.”

Redick said Saturday’s performance in Denver represented “baby steps” for Doncic and the Lakers, the team putting a positive foot forward while understanding that there is much work is left to be done.

“Every day is going to get better,” Doncic said.

Everyone involved in Doncic’s first few weeks with the Lakers believed that to be true. Still, seeing the proof did no harm.

In addition to the shock of leaving Dallas, Doncic also left behind a team he believed in, one that just went to the NBA Finals a year ago last spring and one that was built over time to suit his strengths. Seeing that his new team can provide him the same opportunities also has a role in helping him move forward.

“I think our goal is — not I think — I know our goal is to win a championship,” Doncic said. “That’s our only goal. And I think we have the team for that. Obviously the chemistry with me and the guys, it’s gonna take a little time still.

“But, like you saw today, I think it’s getting better and better.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.