The Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 109-104

The Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 109-104

Tuesday night in Los Angeles, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 109-104. In the first half, it appeared as if the Mavericks would run away with the game, but the Lakers rallied in the third quarter to make it a game. The Lakers got out to a sloppy start in the game, turning the ball over frequently and committing mental errors. The Mavericks took advantage of the situation, and Luka Doncic delivered several memorable performances, including the following:

The Mavericks kept up their domination in the second half, leading 71-56 at the break. The attack was extremely potent in the second quarter, scoring 41 points.

In the third quarter

The Lakers, on the other hand, were not willing to surrender. In the third quarter, they showed more aggression and, more crucially, began making 3-pointers. In the third quarter, the Lakers shot 7-of-12 from long range, while the Mavericks shot 1-of-9. Six Mavericks turnovers also helped them take the lead.

The Mavericks were thereafter the ones to step up their game. During the third quarter, Dallas had given up getting into the paint. However, they returned to their hard work of attacking the rim, and their efforts were rewarded. Midway through the fourth, they went on a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead, which they would not lose.

Three highlights from the game are as follows:

In the fourth quarter, Luka went up against LeBron James and won

Luka grew up idolizing LeBron James. He plays a similar game as LeBron. Luka and the Mavericks prioritized switching LeBron onto Luka on isolations towards the conclusion of the game, and it paid off. Luka was able to break down the defense by getting into the paint against LeBron. He scored many times and set up Dwight Powell for a game-winning assist that put the Lakers out of contention. Even if it was only a few buckets, Luka is sure to remember it for a long time. He didn’t just defeat the Lakers; he outclassed them. He defeated the Lakers by defeating LeBron James in the final minutes of the game. That’s a massive accomplishment.

In the paint, the Mavericks were unstoppable

Because they lived in the paint, Dallas was able to build such a large lead in the first half:

They abandoned that strategy in the third quarter, opting instead for long jumpers and 3-pointers, which they largely missed. In the third quarter, the Lakers lost away from the advantage due to their hot shooting from long range.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, reverted to their first-half strategy in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks shot 8-of-11 from the field and only took seven attempts from beyond the arc. What is the most promising tidbit from this quarter? Dallas regained the lead from behind the arc without catching fire. In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks only hit one 3-pointer. In the paint, the Lakers were outscored 60-42.

The ensemble cast performed admirably

Luka has scored 30 or more points in multiple games for the Mavericks this season, but his teammates have failed to support him. It’s not uncommon for the starters to shoot 1-of-12 from outside the arc and score in the low single digits. Or for the bench to score a total of ten points. This evening, though, will be different. Jalen Brunson scored 22 points while shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Spencer Dinwiddie led the team with 14 points and nine assists off the bench. Dorian Finney-Smith had 16 points and nine rebounds on 3-of-7 shooting from outside the arc. Guys stuffed the box score all night, and it’s one of the reasons they won. The Mavericks will be a playoff team no one wants to face if they can get consistent contributions from all over the roster like they did today.

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