NBA: Luka Doncic-led Mavericks rally past lackluster Lakers
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks and Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks react against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena on March 01, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images/AFP
Luka Doncic recorded 25 points and eight rebounds and Jalen Brunson added 22 points as the visiting Dallas Mavericks notched a 109-104 victory over the slumping Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Dorian Finney-Smith contributed 16 points and nine rebounds and Spencer Dinwiddie had 14 points and nine assists as Dallas won for the eighth time in its past 10 games and 21st in its last 28. Dwight Powell added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Mavericks.
LeBron James registered 26 points and 12 rebounds and Carmelo Anthony added 20 points for the Lakers, who have lost 10 of their last 13 games and 15 of 21.
Luka knocks down the TOUGH one-legged fadeaway!
The @dallasmavs lead by 5 with 3:52 remaining on TNT pic.twitter.com/8qYGqaGfLk
— NBA (@NBA) March 2, 2022
Malik Monk scored 17 points, Russell Westbrook added 12 points and eight assists and Stanley Johnson had 11 points for Los Angeles.
Dallas made 50 percent of its shots, despite shooting just 10 of 35 from 3-point range.
The Lakers shot 45.1 percent and were 14 of 34 from behind the arc.
Los Angeles held a 100-94 lead with 7:23 remaining in the game before the Mavericks erupted with 11 straight points.
Brunson hit a 3-pointer and Doncic added a jumper to bring Dallas within one. James turned the ball over with a poor pass, leading to Powell’s dunk to give the Mavericks a 101-100 edge with 5:08 remaining. Doncic and Powell added baskets to push the lead to five with 3:53 left.
Westbrook’s ferocious dunk with 3:25 left interrupted the Dallas run, but it was the Lakers’ only points in more than seven minutes until James scored on a meaningless dunk with 13.3 seconds to go.
💥 OK THEN LUKA!
Luka Doncic crashes in for the TOUGH put-back SLAM on TNT pic.twitter.com/rnwOTHCx07
— NBA (@NBA) March 2, 2022
Los Angeles trailed 71-56 at halftime before appearing like a vastly different team in the third quarter — outscoring the Mavericks 31-14 to take a two-point lead.
Johnson drained two 3-pointers during a quarter-opening 13-1 run as the Lakers pulled within 72-69 with 7:55 remaining.
James buried a 3-pointer to tie it at 78 with 4:24 left. Los Angeles moved ahead at 82-80 on Monk’s basket with 2:55 to play.
Dallas inched back ahead before Kent Bazemore hit a 3-pointer with 42.2 seconds remaining to give the Lakers an 87-85 edge entering the final stanza.
Doncic and Brunson scored 15 points apiece as Dallas led by 15 at the break.
The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 37-13 over a span of 11:34 to turn a three-point, first-quarter deficit into a 59-38 advantage with four minutes remaining in the first half.
