Lakers vs Mavericks: Dallas Exploits Defensive Woes in 118-97 Win
The Los Angeles Lakers hit a wall on Tuesday night in their Lakers vs Mavericks matchup, falling 118-97 to a severely short-handed Dallas Mavericks team. It wasn’t just the loss that stung—it was how it happened. After building momentum over the last few weeks, the Lakers now find themselves dealing with back-to-back defeats on their Texas road trip.
This tough stretch has dropped the Lakers to sixth place in the Western Conference standings, after starting the trip at No. 4. For a team that had recently won eight out of 11 games and made bold moves to improve the roster, it’s a frustrating turn of events.
A Promising Run Hits a Snag
Heading into Texas, the Lakers had been playing some of their best basketball. They had shaken things up by trading D’Angelo Russell, rookie Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to bring in Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. The hope was that the new additions would make the team tougher and more balanced, especially on defense.
But things unraveled quickly. The trip started with a painful 119-115 loss to the Houston Rockets, a team that had been struggling and missing one of its key players, Jabari Smith Jr. Despite Houston’s setbacks, the Lakers found themselves down by 22 points in the first half. Although they clawed back to make it close, it wasn’t enough.
Hoping for a bounce-back game in Dallas, the Lakers instead stumbled again. The Mavericks were missing three of their top players—Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, and Daniel Gafford—but they outworked the Lakers, especially in the second half, outscoring them 63-47.
Mavericks Exploit Lakers’ Flaws
Even without their stars, Dallas played sharp basketball, shooting over 52% from the field and hitting 18 of their 38 three-point attempts. After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick admitted his team struggled to contain the Mavericks, particularly in one-on-one situations.
“They killed us with iso stuff,” Redick said bluntly. “We couldn’t stop them, and when you let a team shoot like that, you’re in trouble.”
LeBron James, who finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, pointed to Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd for outsmarting the Lakers. Kidd, a former Lakers assistant, crafted a game plan that exposed the Lakers’ defensive weaknesses, particularly through pick-and-rolls and mismatches.
“They knew exactly who they wanted in those pick-and-rolls,” James said. “We just didn’t make enough second efforts when they got us in rotations.”
Austin Reaves: “I Was Really, Really Bad”
One of the players the Mavericks targeted was Austin Reaves, and it was a rough night for him. Reaves finished with a plus/minus of minus-25, one of the worst on the team. He didn’t shy away from taking responsibility after the game.
“The first half was god-awful,” Reaves admitted. “The second half was better, but I still can’t let that happen. I was really, really bad on both sides of the ball tonight.”
Reaves managed 15 points on 5-for-14 shooting (4-for-11 from three), but his struggles on defense made it hard for the Lakers to find any rhythm.
Source: Lakers’ momentum stalls in 118-97 loss to Mavericks
Anthony Davis Underwhelms
Anthony Davis, the Lakers’ most consistent player this season, didn’t have his best game either. He finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but shot just 7-for-18 from the field. Davis also had difficulty protecting the paint, as the Mavericks outscored the Lakers 52-40 in that area.
Coach Redick pointed out that the Lakers missed several easy scoring opportunities near the basket, which hurt their confidence and energy on defense. Davis, unfortunately, was one of the players who missed some of those chances.
Frustrated, Davis declined to speak to reporters after the game, leaving his teammates and coaches to address what went wrong.
Finney-Smith Calls for More Communication
Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the Lakers’ new additions, highlighted another issue: communication. He said the team needed to do a better job of talking to each other on defense, especially to help players like Reaves when they’re being targeted.
“We’ve got to be more vocal,” Finney-Smith said. “When you’re guarding ball handlers, you need to feel like your teammates have your back. And we’ve got AD down there—he’s a big presence in the paint. We’ve got to use that.”
Time to Regroup at Home
Despite the back-to-back losses, the Lakers don’t have much time to dwell on it. They’re heading back to Los Angeles for a crucial stretch of eight games, seven of which will be played at Crypto.com Arena. The other game will be against the Clippers at their new Intuit Dome.
The homestand begins Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets, giving the Lakers a chance to reset and refocus. With the Western Conference standings as tight as ever, this stretch of games will be critical in determining their playoff position.
LeBron, ever the leader, emphasized the importance of moving forward quickly.
“We’ve got another game in less than 48 hours,” he said. “That’s the NBA for you. You take the lessons from a game like this, figure out what you could’ve done better, and then you focus on the next one. We’ve got to protect our home court now.”
What’s Next for the Lakers?
The next few weeks will reveal a lot about this Lakers team. Can they bounce back and regain the momentum they had before this road trip? Will the new roster pieces gel and help the team address its weaknesses? One thing is clear: time is ticking, and the Lakers can’t afford to let games like these slip away.
For now, all eyes are on Thursday’s matchup with the Hornets. It’s a chance for the Lakers to prove that these losses were just a blip on the radar, not a sign of deeper issues.
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