After being up by as many as nine points in the third quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers crumbled in crunch time to the Dallas Mavericks, falling 100-93. It was another example of the Lakers unable to keep up with their opponent, staying stagnant as the Mavericks turned up the heat down the stretch.
Lakers head coach Byron Scott said tonight’s loss was the “same old story.”
They turned it up a notch on the defensive end, we turned it over a bunch of times.”
Despite a six point Laker lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers allowed the Mavericks to score 11 unanswered points, committing a total of eight turnovers in the final 12 minutes of action.
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Lakers guard Jeremy Lin said the team expects more from themselves down the stretch, especially after experiencing several games that have been close at the end. Lin suggested that the Lakers need to change their mindset at the end of games.
To not try to protect the lead but to try to grow it,” Lin said of the most important thing the Lakers need to focus on. “That’s the kind of mindset you have to have, stay on the attack.”
Lin finished the game with seven points, five assists, three turnovers, and one steal in his 24 minutes on the floor. The three turnovers are a rarity for Lin, since his recent consistency since the NBA All-Star break. Before tonight, in the eight games since the break, Jeremy Lin had averaged 15.5 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting (45-93) and led the team in scoring from the bench four times.
The Lakers take on the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center on Tuesday and the New York Knicks on Thursday.
[divide]VIDEO: Byron Scott Says Lakers Don’t Have Anyone That Can Close Games Right Now