Lakers flatten Mavs with second-half surge
The Lakers move back to a .500 record (21–21) behind a second-half surge and an 82-point combined outing from LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and D’Angelo Russell to lift past the Dallas Mavericks 127–110 on Wednesday.
With a 55–53 two-point lead heading into halftime, the Lakers changed the game's momentum with an energetic second-half start. They went on to outscore the Mavs 42–27 in the third quarter, led by Russell, who went 3-for-3 from three for 10 points in the quarter, and Davis with 12 points.
The Lakers maintained their margin till the final horn, leading by as many as 24 points.
Despite many rumors involving him in trade packages, Russell has kept his composure and stayed ready for any role the staff has given him. From coming off the bench to going back in the lineup, he’s maintained a strong scoring presence for the Lakers offense, leading to another solid night with hot streaks that sparked runs.
“We re-signed him because we knew he could help us. We believe in him,” head coach Darvin Ham said about the point guard. “It’s that time of year, I guess, with the trade talks.”
Russell totaled a team-high 29 points on five-for-seven shooting from deep and 11-for-20 from the field for 55%.
Davis was one assist shy of a triple-double with 28 points on 12-for-17 shooting from the floor with 12 rebounds and nine assists.
In the midst of their large lead and the high momentum in the fourth quarter, LeBron poured it on with a Magic Johnson-esque two-handed bounce pass on the break to a trailing Vanderbilt, who finished it with a dunk.
LeBron finished with 25 points on an efficient 52.6% from the field on 10-for-19 with eight assists and eight rebounds in 33 minutes.
The Lakers’ large margin led to a rare resting fourth quarter for LeBron and Davis.
The Lakers’ 33 assists on the night led to a 62-point outing in the paint and 32 fast-break points, showcasing how much they clicked as a unit.
“When we share the basketball, good things tend to happen,” said Davis.
The defensive game plan surrounding Dallas’ Kyrie Irving showed how promising their defenses can be when dialed in, allowing his first made field goal in the third quarter as he finished with 12 points on four-for-16 shooting.
The Lakers held Irving, Luka Dončić and Tim Hardaway Jr. to three-of-21 shooting from three. Dončić was Dallas’ only firepower of the night, finishing with a 33-point triple-double.
Since returning from a nagging heel injury, Jarred Vanderbilt has dealt with rust and not at full 100%, but as of late, he is slowly returning to his defensive high-energy form, which earned him a 4-year, $48 million contract extension this offseason.
“His activity alone helps our ball club,” LeBron said. “He’s starting to get healthier and healthier... his quick twitch... rebounding, defending, picking up full court—you can’t do that with a bad heel.”
In 25 minutes off the bench, Vanderbilt finished with seven points and nine rebounds while being aggressive in the paint, which led to eight free throw attempts.
With the inconsistency surrounding the Lakers and the trade deadline approaching on Thursday, Feb. 4., LeBron was asked about the need for a move.
“I don’t play fantasy basketball. What I do is focus on the guys that’s here and in this uniform and show up to work every day,” LeBron said. “It’s too disrespectful to be thinking about what we need or what we don’t have. I don’t do that to my teammates.”
The Lakers remain at home in their next scheduled matchup on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the 16–24 Brooklyn Nets.
