The Dallas Mavericks suffered another tough defeat on Tuesday night, falling 107-98 to the Los Angeles Lakers in their first game since the high-profile Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade. The Lakers secured the victory thanks to a dominant fourth quarter from LeBron James, who finished with 27 points. Luka Doncic also recorded a triple-double—his first since joining the Lakers—with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and two blocks against his former team.
The Mavericks were missing key players, including Davis and Daniel Gafford, forcing them to lean on their veteran stars, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. Irving led all scorers with 35 points, adding seven rebounds and four assists, while Thompson contributed 22 points, eight rebounds, and an assist.
After the game, Thompson, who joined Dallas this season after leaving the Golden State Warriors, shared his thoughts on facing Doncic. “He’s a competitive guy, and so are we, so it was fun to battle,” he told reporters.
Thompson and James had a thrilling showdown in the fourth quarter, with Thompson scoring 11 consecutive points to keep the Mavericks in the game. He also hit a crucial, game-tying three-pointer with 6:57 left before the Lakers pulled away for the win.
With this loss, Dallas drops to 31-28, falling to ninth in the Western Conference standings. The Mavericks will aim to break their losing streak when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.
