The Lakers defeat Luka Doncic’s 33-point triple-double to win for the fourth time in six games, 127-110. Anthony Davis falls one assist short of a 28-point triple-double, while D’Angelo Russell scores 29 points.
The Lakers’ homestand could not have come at a better time, and they looked determined to make the most of their final 1.5-week home game at Crypto.com Arena against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
They didn’t have the kind of sluggish start that has occasionally dogged them this season. They shared the ball (33 assists) and capitalized on those extra scoring opportunities while limiting their turnovers (10).
The outcome was a 127-110 victory over the Mavericks (24-18) to start the second half of the regular season with the Lakers back at.500 (21-21).
The Lakers defeated Luka Doncic’s 33-point triple-double with 29 points from D’Angelo Russell and 28 points from Anthony Davis, who ended one assist short of a triple-double. This was the Lakers’ fourth consecutive six-game winning streak.
Russell shot 11 for 20 (five for seven from three-point range) while Davis shot 12 for 17 from the field. The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 42–27 in the third quarter to completely blow up the game, and the two combined for 23 of their points (Davis had 12).
Austin Reaves contributed 14 points and seven rebounds, while LeBron James finished with 25 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds.
With 4:44 left, James found Reaves behind the back for a 3-pointer, putting the Lakers up 120-97 and all but guaranteeing the win. Following Reaves’ 3-pointer, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd took a timeout and rested his starting lineup.
Both teams struggled from beyond the arc for the most of the first half, as they only made seven of their 32 3-point tries, giving the Lakers a 55-53 edge at the intermission.
However, after the break, the Lakers’ jumpers began to fall as the Mavericks’ frigid play persisted.
In the third quarter, the Lakers converted five of their six 3-point tries, while the Mavericks only made three of their twelve. Six Dallas turnovers were also converted into 13 points by the Lakers. Two minutes into the quarter, the Lakers were ahead 62-59, but during the next five minutes, they went on a 27-8 run.
Resuming after missing three games due to a sprained right ankle, Doncic recorded his seventh triple-double of the year and 63rd overall with 13 rebounds and 10 assists in addition to his game-high point total.
The Mavericks fell to 5-4 in January, despite 16 points and 11 rebounds from Dereck Lively II. Kyrie Irving, the guard who is an All-Star, had an unusually low scoring night, scoring just 12 points on 4 of 16 shots.
The Lakers led 32–7 in fast-break points and shot 53.8% from the field (49 for 91).
