Ex-Net Kyrie Irving supplied the drama as usual. However, Luka Doncic dominated the match, defeating Brooklyn’s former hero.

The Nets faced Irving for the first time since he forced a trade out of them, effectively ending their championship chances.

They kept him in check, but Doncic delivered a 125-120 defeat in front of a sellout crowd of 20,238 at American Airlines Center.

The Nets took a late lead for the second game in a row. And they lost for the second time in a row.

Doncic scored 49 points, including nine in a 10-2 surge that turned a five-point Nets lead with 2:10 left into a heartbreaking loss.

With 26.6 seconds remaining, Doncic’s one-handed, 25-foot banked 3-pointer had even Dallas’ star chuckling, Dallas leading 123-120, and the Nets reeling.

“When somebody makes a one-handed 3 off the glass, what can you do?” said Cam Thomas, who had a team-high 30 points in a rare start. “I just saw it kept going. ‘That might hit the backboard.’ Like, ‘Ah, nah. No way he just made that.’ ”

4During the second half of the Nets’ 125-120 loss to the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving drives on Cam Thomas.APHe made it, though; a special athlete making a special play.It just so happened to be the other outstanding player in Dallas, not the one who caused the Nets so much trouble in Brooklyn before winning the game on Friday.

Kyrie Irving insists changed Nets ‘plans’ led to sour ending

“What makes teams very special at the end of the day is they have dudes who can make tough shots just like Donovan [Mitchell] did against us the first night [against the Cavaliers on Wednesday], Luka did [Friday],” coach Jacque Vaughn said. “That’s the difference in layers of the league. And we’ll grow to understand how to make plays like that at the end of the night.”

The Nets had those players; three of them to be exact.

But James Harden tired of Irving and forced a trade in 2022, and Irving tired of the franchise and demanded a trade that led to Kevin Durant asking out as well.

“It was just another game, man, to be honest with you,” Irving said. “I don’t know if it’s just a media thing against your former team to have this angst, this anger going against them. But for me personally, it was just another game going against some of my brothers in the league.”

The Nets smothered Irving, who played with ‘No Fear’ on his right shoe and ‘Free All The Oppressed’ on his left.

4Luka Doncic celebrates during the Nets’ loss to the MavericksNBAE via Getty Images

He was held to 17 points, 6 of 17 shooting and a team-worst minus-7.

“We changed coverages throughout the course of the night to give different looks,” Vaughn said. “Guys were mentally in it to respond. It started with the physicality and so we contested a lot of shots.”

Including Doncic’s backbreaker.

It’s just that in the latter case, it didn’t matter.

“I mean, I get the Luka Magic thing and all that … but even he smiled at that,” said Spencer Dinwiddie, who had 23 points and eight assists while shooting 6 of 12 from deep in his return to Dallas after arriving in the Irving trade.

With starters Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson both out, Dorian Finney-Smith — also making his return to Dallas — got the nod at center, joining Thomas in a smallball starting lineup.

Reluctant to use drop coverage because of Doncic and Irving, the Nets went back to switching. It only worked against Irving.

In a 48-44 hole late in the first half, Dinwiddie’s three 3-pointers sparked an 11-2 run to go up 55-50.

Thomas scored the Nets’ first seven points in the fourth quarter, a nine-foot floater giving them a 96-90 cushion with 10:29 left.

4During the second half, Brooklyn Nets player Spencer Dinwiddie shoots over Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green.APDinwiddie’s pullup made it 106-99.With 2:36 remaining, he found Royce O’Neale for consecutive 3s, giving them a 118-113 lead. But they couldn’t keep it up.Or Doncic stole it away from him.4Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving celebrate during the second half.AP

His corner 3 put Dallas ahead, 119-118, and his 25-foot bank shot was the dagger.

“They just got stops,” said Mikal Bridges, who had 18 points on 6 of 17 shooting. “Personally, I’m not executing. So I’m just you know, not helping my team out. But Luka got it going, just doing what you do. Just missing shots, I’m missing layups, missing some of my teammates open. I’ve just got to be better.”

Irving got the last laugh, having a friendly mentor-mentee chat with Thomas.

“It was just a big brother being proud of his little bro, just doing what I’m doing these first two games,” Thomas said. “Obviously, I’d rather have the wins, but he was just telling me that he’s proud of me and how I’ve been playing. It means a lot.”