The Los Angeles Lakers won the season series against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. LeBron James added to his personal record book and won the personal showdown with Luka Doncic. Lake Show Life breaks down the game in Lake Show Life Lessons!
The Los Angeles Lakers have a better team than the Dallas Mavericks. To read that statement, most would roll their eyes and think, “In other news, the sky is blue and water is wet”. Any other analysis to add here?
Sure, Anthony Davis wisely did not play in this game due to a serious fall against the New York Knicks earlier in the week. Dallas did not have Kristaps Porzingis, so things should have lined up for an entertaining game. Well it was for the Lakers faithful. For Luka Doncic and his coach Rick Carlisle, well they took out frustrations on their respective clothing.
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1215846806699106304
LeBron James made sure that on this night Anthony Davis was not needed as he set the tone early on both ends of the floor. The Los Angeles Lakers put the game away in the first quarter dropping a season-high 45 points in the first quarter. After that, the Mavericks never got the lead under ten points the rest of the way. The Lakers have taken their level of focus to another level and it showed as they bullied their way to a 79-58 lead at halftime. That total was the franchise’s highest tally in a first half since the “Showtime” in 1989.
Despite foul trouble in the second half to JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, Frank Vogel made adjustments with a small lineup featuring Jared Dudley and LeBron James on the back line. With the move to small ball, the Lakers held off numerous Mavericks runs to leave Dallas with a 129-114 win.
More importantly, the Los Angeles Lakers take the season series over the Dallas Mavericks 3-1. Now they own the tie breaker that could loom large at the end of the season. The Lakers now move to an unbelievable mark of 31-7. With this seven game winning streak, it marks the fourth time this season the Lakers have accomplished such a feat. The rest of the NBA teams don’t have more than one.
They’ll look to make it eight straight tomorrow when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night. Whether Anthony Davis returns or not, this game will be tough. The Thunder are on a tear of their own which included a beat down of the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.
This win showed the Lakers are good enough to take games without sacrificing the long-term health of Anthony Davis to do it.
Let’s get to Lake Show Life Lessons!