Lakers rally past Mavs in 27-point comeback.
DALLAS — The Lakers rallied back from a 27-point deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 111–108 on Sunday, outscoring the Mavs 64–47 in the second half to improve their record to 29–32.
Sunday’s 27-point rally was the largest comeback of any team in the NBA this season and the largest comeback for the Lakers since 2002.
“It was a huge shot in the arm the way we were able to continue to scratch, claw, fight, and compete,” said head coach Darvin Ham.
The Lakers' comeback was thanks to gutsy performances from Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Dennis Schröder, who combined for 87 of the Lakers' 111 total points.
Anthony Davis was the Lakers’ leading scorer, knocking down 12 of his 20 (60%) attempts from the field while finishing with a game-high 30 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 36 minutes.
Jarred Vanderbilt gave the Lakers a fighting chance in the second half, taking on the defensive assignment on Mavs star Luka Dončić and creating havoc overall on defense.
Vanderbilt finished with a double-double of 15 points and 17 rebounds while notching four steals in 26 minutes of action.
“I like that challenge every single night, being able to guard the best players,” said Vanderbilt. “I think that’s my value and my impact on this team.”
Toward the end of the third quarter, LeBron James injured his right ankle after a layup attempt on Mavs center Dwight Powell, falling in pain and gripping his ankle. He was heard mouthing, “I heard a pop.”
After the game, LeBron said his ankle has “been better,” but he wouldn’t go to the locker room and miss the rest of the game. He’ll see how it responds in the next few days, as the Lakers have an upcoming back-to-back schedule on Tuesday and Wednesday.
LeBron finished with 26 points on 43% (10-for-23) shooting from the field, adding eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in 36 minutes.
Dennis Schröder finished third in scoring for the Lakers with 16 points and eight rebounds on 5-for-12 (41%) shooting from the floor in 34 minutes of action.
The Lakers’ next matchup comes this Tuesday in their first game of a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies at 4:30 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet and TNT.
