The stars went all out in Game 2 of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate as LeBron James and Luka Doncic dominated the Dallas Mavericks’ 124-115 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his best efforts, James was unable to help the visiting Lakers maintain their early lead as the Mavericks attacked aggressively in the third quarter. Recorded his 51 points. This was a Christmas Day record that proved too much for Los Angeles to overcome.
Doncic will make a lot of headlines with a near-triple-double of 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, but the Mavericks All-Stars are Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined. He scored 56 points, which helped a lot in the offensive end. winning points. On the other end of the spectrum, LeBron put up the type of superstar numbers he’s grown accustomed to finishing with 38 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, but the rest of the Lakers’ roster supported him well. did not. to get the job done on the road.
With the win, Dallas improved to 18-16 on the season, while Los Angeles slipped to 13-20.
1. The Mavericks blow up in the 3rd quarter and blow out the game
It didn’t get any worse than what the Mavericks did in the first half against the Lakers. They shot 39.5% from the field and 22.7% from 3-point shooting, putting him 11 points behind his team, the Lakers without Anthony Davis. Based on how his first two quarters went poorly, Dallas was destined to turn things around, but the Mavericks used his 20-5 run to put him up 82-up to the Lakers. No one could have predicted his 51-point blowout that resulted. He scored 65 with two minutes left in the third quarter.
By the end of the third frame, Dallas had a 94-for-75 lead, and their 51 points total was not only a Christmas Day record, but tied the Mavericks record for most points in a quarter. Highest score in a quarter this season. It all happened thanks to nine 3s. His four of them were by Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 16 of 26 points in the third quarter. Doncic also added to the fun in the third quarter, in which he scored 13 of 32 points in his 12 minutes, recording six assists in the process.
Not that the Mavericks were stylistically dramatically different in the third quarter. That has been Dallas’ story all season long. Once this team starts cooking from his 3 points his territory it’s hard to beat them. The Mavericks produce the second-widest open threes this season, but in terms of making them, they are in the middle of the pack with 38.1%, which ranks him 15th in the league. While the first half was a no-hit version of the Mavericks’ wide-open looks, the third quarter was a dramatic swing in the opposite direction, with nearly every shot coming in. This isn’t sustainable, but It’s a positive sign. Dallas can turn things around in the middle of the game and see players like the terribly struggling Reggie Bullock come out of a slump.
2. LeBron James vs. Everyone
We already knew James had to go all out for the Lakers to have a chance in this game. Because without Davis on the floor, there’s not much depth behind their two stars. Still, LeBron had just 32 points with his four other Lakers starters combined. Russell Westbrook did his best to provide help off the bench, posting 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, while Austin Reeves scored a quiet 16 points, while other starters trailed in double digits. Don’t score… Win a lot of games. This is a perennial problem for the Lakers this season, especially when the team shoots 32.1% of his 3-point range. LA scored with his 3 points he ranked 26th in the league in percentage, just below his season average. Even LeBron has done 0-of-4 from the deep, but that’s only a minor issue on the radar when he’s doing everything else offensively.
There was some hope in the first half when the Lakers shot 53.5 percent from the field and double-teamed Doncic every time they went down the floor. The Lakers saw him build a 14-point lead on two separate occasions in the first half, but as Dallas began to fire up from deep in halftime, LA his arsenal to maintain the pace. I didn’t have it.
This is the latest example Lakers fans use to show GM Rob Pelinka that this team needs to make one or more moves to have a chance at a playoff or play-in tournament. .
3. Christian Wood showing why he should stay in the starting lineup
For six straight games, Wood was in the starting lineup for the Mavericks. It was probably his best game in a Mavericks uniform. He had 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. It was a complete performance on offense and he even had some key defensive possessions. Wood scored 15 points at halftime. This was the main reason the Lakers lead was bigger than before, and he continued to play strong after the break.
It was perfect timing for Wood to perform as spectacularly as he is now. Subject to four-year, $77 million contract extensionWood is in the final year of his contract and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but if the Mavericks want to keep the big man past this season, sign him now. may be a better option. If you keep improving the price, the price will only go up. And given Jalen Brunson’s situation, Dallas could have offered a midseason contract extension, but missed the opportunity and lost him to the Knicks as an unrestricted free agent last summer. The plan is for Wood to survive this season.
