On February 26, Beijing time, the 2024-25 NBA regular season is underway, the Lakers defeated the Mavericks 107-99 at home, and the Lakers ushered in three consecutive wins.

Statistics

Lakers: James 27 points and 12 rebounds, Doncic 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, which is the first triple-double of Doncic's Lakers career and the 81st triple-double of his career; Hachimura had 15 points and Rivers had 20 points and five assists

Mavericks: Irving 35 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Klay Thompson 22 points and 8 rebounds, Christie 10 points and 6 assists

Background

The Lakers easily defeated the Nuggets 123-100 in the last game, won a wave of two straight wins, and are currently ranked fourth in the West with a record of 34 wins and 21 losses. In the game against the Nuggets, all four players scored 20+, and Doncic also played his best performance since joining the team, with 32 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. It is worth mentioning that today's game against the Mavericks is the first time Doncic has faced his old owner since he was traded.

The Mavericks lost 102-126 to the Warriors last time out, ending their three-game winning streak and currently sitting in 8th place in the West with a 31-27 record. Irving said bluntly when talking about today's Lakers Mavericks game, Doncic will face his old master, but the story has been written, and we have to focus on playing a high-level game. In addition, Bush returned to Los Angeles for the first time after the trade but was unable to play due to a left adductor strain.

Game recap

In the first half, the Lakers at home had the upper hand on both offensive and defensive ends, Doncic not only stuffed the ball into the basket in the three-man encirclement, but also assisted James to shoot a three-pointer to lead the Lakers to a 9-2 start. At 9:25, Doncic broke through and was guarded but didn't get a whistle, and he was dissatisfied with blowing a penalty and angrily sprayed the referee with a technical foul. The hiccup didn't bother Doncic, who then scored two goals in a row to stop his old club. During the pause, the Lakers also played a touching tribute video for Thick Eyebrows. In the second half of the quarter, Doncic was there in terms of rebounding and assists. At the end of the first quarter, Doncic had 9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, and led the Lakers to a 28-20 lead over the Mavericks. In the second quarter, the Lakers were firmly in control of the situation on the court, and after Doncic assisted Vanderbilt and Rivers to hit a three-pointer in a row, he caused Klay to foul on the outside, directing a 13-3 offensive surge, and the Lakers extended their advantage to as many as 16 points. In the final one-and-a-half minutes of the quarter, Irving and Christie combined for three three-pointers to help the Mavericks tie the score at 51-59 at the end of the first half.

In the second half, Klay hit two three-pointers in a row, and Irving scored seven points on consecutive free throws, and the Mavericks chased the score to 67-70. After returning from a timeout, Rivers scored four points in a row to help the Lakers stabilize their morale. However, Exum hit a three-pointer and hit a jumper to score five straight points to put the Mavericks up 77-78. At 49.2 seconds, James hit an elbow in the face on a layup, and the latter had to be picked up by his teammates before returning to the locker room. In the final quarter, the two sides launched a crazy confrontation mode, and Clay scored 11 points in a row to help the Mavericks tie the score at 91. At the critical moment, James and Doncic teamed up to score 5 points and stop the opponent. Although Irving then scored two goals in a row, James' rebound and Hachimura's offense ultimately helped the Lakers win the game.

Both sides start

Lakers: LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Austin Rivers

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Kessler Edwards, Max Christie