Between the petits fours for the inauguration of the statue of Dirk Nowitzki and the Christmas meal, the Mavericks still had to be on the digestion when starting this “Christmas Game” at home against the Lakers. So much so that it took a good half-time for Jason Kidd’s players to regain their luster.
The Lakers, for their part, started the meeting like a commando on a mission, determined to take the best of entry with the help of a LeBron James in bulldozer mode. The Lakers star chained four baskets before serving Thomas Bryant for a dunk to bring his own to +11 (6-17).
Luka Doncic allowed the locals to pick up quickly (21-25), but as soon as he returned, LeBron James put the pressure on the opposing racket, distinguishing himself with two left-handed finishes with the most beautiful effect (30-41).
On the other side, Dallas had a hard time finding the rhythm at the start of the afternoon. Luka Doncic even let slip two free throws, a sign of the ambient nervousness. So much so that the Lakers were able to preserve their lead until the break following the 3-point baskets of the Walker-Westbrook-Beverley trio (43-54)
The Mavericks finally regained their senses after returning from the locker room, relying in turn on outside address, with Spencer Dinwiddie twice, Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr (55-58). It was then thanks to his defense that Dallas was able to continue his strong moment and kill the match in stride thanks to a 24-2. With a metronome Luka Doncic and a Tim Hardaway Jr who has become unstoppable with 10 points in the series (84-65).
The tandem continued the show until the end of the third quarter while Christian Wood’s 2+1 allowed Dallas to conclude the period with 51 points on the clock and 19 lengths ahead of the Californians (94- 75).
It remained to calm the ardor of LeBron James, who revived the suspense by scoring 11 points in the first five minutes of the last quarter (101-90). The locals then trusted their hot hands, Tim Hardaway Jr and Reggie Bullock in this case, to keep the Lakers at a safe distance until the end. Christian Wood meanwhile completed his full match with two dunks in quick succession, which helped kill the last opposing hopes (115-101). .
Winners 124-115, the Mavericks are now three wins in a row. Conversely, the Lakers continue to sink with this fourth consecutive defeat.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Less than five minutes to turn the game around. It took the Mavericks less than five minutes in the third quarter to completely turn the tide. Then led 63-60, Jason Kidd’s troops passed a blistering 24-2, led by a Doncic-Hardaway Jr duo who crushed everything in their path. Euphoric for 12 minutes, the Texans passed 51 points to the Lakers defense, 8 more than in the whole of the first half. This is a record in the NBA this season and in the history of the NBA “Christmas Games”.
– The 20th defeat of the Lakers. On this Christmas day, it’s a gift the Lakers would have done well without. The formation of LeBron James accused its 20th loss of the season in 33 games played. At this rate, the Lakers are still spinning into the wall, and seeing Anthony Davis on the bench for a moment, this total collapse in the third quarter and this feeling that LeBron James seems to be alone in swimming does not bode well. good for the future.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Luka Doncic. Like his team, he picked up steam after the break and a somewhat frustrating first half. He let the game come to him next to accompany Dallas’ record streak. 32 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists and a +/- of +25, the best of the team.
✅ Tim Hardaway Jr. A third quarter to 16 points during which he seemed untouchable. He was hot until the end to finish with 26 points including 23 scored after the break! One more step towards the role of major player that he must play on a more regular basis to support Luka Doncic. .
✅ Christian Wood. One of his best performances for the Mavericks. The interior delivered a full game, aggressive in defense and effective in attack to finish with a nice line of stats: 30 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks. He was precious until the end without neglecting the show with an alley-oop and two dunks in a row that delighted the American Airlines Center. .
✅ LeBron James. 37 years ? 38 dots! Time doesn’t seem to have the same hold on his body as it does on those of the rest of mankind. The King pulled out of his hood a big “Christmas Game” with 38 points at 13/23 shooting, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. He held his team at arm’s length most of the game and was behind the return to -10 in the final act. Not enough to bring back the victory but at least to save the honor of the Californians.
⛔️ Russell Westbrook. An overwhelming +/- at -30 for a game in which his impact was too low as he took 16 shots, in a collective where only LeBron James also took more than 10 shots.
THE FOLLOWING
Dallas (18-16): the Mavericks will prepare for the arrival of the Knicks this Tuesday (2:30 a.m.).
Los Angeles (13-20): the Lakers will continue their five-game road trip to Orlando this Tuesday (1:00 a.m.).
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