Though Luka Doncic is entering new territory with the Los Angeles Lakers, he and former teammate Dorian Finney-Smith are picking up right where they left off. The Lakers acquired Finney-Smith in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets on Dec.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith defended Luka Doncic after the Dallas Mavericks criticized his conditioning.

On Tuesday night in the Intuit Dome’s visiting locker room, as he suited up to face the Clippers, Finney-Smith was in disbelief of the circumstances that have reunited him with Doncic. “We thought it might be there,” Finney-Smith said, referring to Dallas. “But I guess it’s L.A. Luka spoke it into existence.”