The Los Angeles Lakers continued their eight-game road trip with a marquee matchup against the Dallas Mavericks. The Luka Doncic blockbuster trade shook up both franchises, making every meeting a painful reminder for the Dallas faithful.
Despite a rough third quarter, Los Angeles was able to pull off a 116-110 win to get back on track.
LeBron James got the Lakers on the board with a jumper, while Doncic earned his first points at the free throw line. Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia were aggressive in the painted area, though Max Christie’s 3-point shooting left Los Angeles trailing 16-13 midway through the first quarter.
Doncic started to find his rhythm from the perimeter, draining consecutive 3-pointers to give Los Angeles the advantage. The Lakers were able to exploit the Mavericks’ poor defense at the end of the quarter and went into the second quarter leading 37-28.
Marcus Smart opened up the second quarter, providing a spark on both ends, with a 3-pointer bumping Los Angeles’ lead up to 12. Doncic checked back in and picked up where he left off, picking apart Dallas’ defense as a scorer and playmaker to keep the Lakers ahead 55-41.
L.A.’s defense saw a dip after James checked out, though their offense continued to hum. The Lakers picked up the intensity toward the end of the half and went into the locker room leading 65-52.
James and Doncic came out of the half attacking the basket, but turnovers allowed the Mavericks to pull within single digits. Ayton’s offensive struggles didn’t help, as he struggled to finish in the paint, and Dallas took advantage, pulling ahead.
Doncic responded with his own personal 5-0 run to give the Lakers the lead back, though the Mavericks continued to keep pace. Los Angeles’ offense sputtered without Doncic on the floor, and as a result, they went into the final period trailing 87-79.
The Lakers’ troubles seeped into the fourth quarter as their offense could not buy a basket, while the Mavericks increased their lead to 14 points. Smart tried to will L.A. back into the game with his effort on both ends, while James threw down a transition dunk to cut the deficit to nine.
The purple and gold continued their comeback effort as their defense ignited their offense, making it another close finish. Rui Hachimura came up clutch with a pair of 3-pointers late in the fourth, and Smart’s tenacity allowed the Lakers to take the lead.
Fortunately, L.A.’s efforts paid off in the end as they completed their comeback against a stingy defense.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers’ road trip continues on Monday against the Chicago Bulls and Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
