Lakers Defend NBA In-Season Tournament Title but Succumb to Mavericks: Luka Doncic Takes Charge in a Victory for Dallas

Tuesday night marked the return to action for the Los Angeles Lakers following their victory in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas. The Lakers traveled to Dallas Mavericks for the matchup.

Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis were all permitted to play for their respective teams despite questionable tag decisions. Nevertheless, Kyrie Irving and Jarred Vanderbilt were both absent. In the end, it was the Mavericks who emerged victorious, suffering a 127-125 loss, while the Lakers declined to 14-10 on the season.

The contest got off to a sloppy start as both teams committed turnovers in the opening minutes. Following two missed layup attempts, Davis secured a reverse with one second remaining to tie the score at six.

Following an initial five-point surge by the Mavericks, Taurean Prince sank the Lakers’ first three-pointer of the evening. However, Davis committed his second foul and was subsequently substituted early to the sideline.

The Lakers’ offense unexpectedly struggled with both James and Davis on the bench. Despite five consecutive points from Rui Hachimura, who entered the game from the bench, Los Angeles trailed 34-26 at the conclusion of the initial quarter.

Early on, Tim Hardaway Jr. was on fire for the Mavericks, continuing that trend with a second triple in the second half before Austin Reaves answered with his own. Subsequently, the Lakers initiated a defensive lockdown, which enabled them to gradually reduce the deficit while LeBron James recklessly shot the ball into the basket on the opposing end.

However, Dallas continued its run after Los Angeles failed to prevent Doncic from reaching the free throw line. Seth Curry then made a deep 3-pointer, giving the Mavericks an unexpected 13-point lead.

The Lakers were plagued by turnovers, which provided the Mavericks with open looks and allowed them to remain red-hot from point three. Despite posting six consecutive points in the closing seconds to maintain a 71-61 deficit, the Lakers entered the locker room in the losing position.

Davis was hobbling at the conclusion of the first half with what appeared to be a groin injury, but he returned to the field to begin the third quarter. Early in the third quarter, James was the driving force for Los Angeles on both ends; after he completed a triple and then Davis completed a baby hook, the deficit was reduced to five and Jason Kidd was forced to call a timeout.

In the final minutes of the third quarter, the Lakers completed an additional run, which provided them with their first lead since the opening minutes. Davis was a key contributor with five consecutive points, which included a game-winning triple in the fourth period that extended his team’s lead to 95-93.

James scored to extend the lead to 10–0 at the start of the fourth quarter, before Grant Williams and Dante Exum buried three-pointers to conclude it.

Doncic, Hardaway, James, and Davis maintained their respective teams’ leads while exchanging baskets in the fourth quarter, when the score was tied at 108. However, following two Lakers turnovers, Dallas scored five quick points with Exum remaining scorching from deep.

Although Doncic lived up to the hype, it was the Mavericks’ other players, including Hardaway, Exum, and Williams, who persisted in causing the Lakers difficulty.

Prince continued to perform admirably for Dallas, as his third triple in the final two minutes brought the Lakers within four. However, once more, the Lakers left Exum wide open, and he punished them with another corner three-pointer.

The Lakers were subsequently unable to mount a comeback and ultimately succumbed to the defeat.