DALLAS, TEXAS — Luka Dončić lit up the scoreboard with a 45-point explosion in his return to Dallas as the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers squad dominated the Mavericks in the fourth quarter 112-97 on it’s home court, dropping the season series 3-1 to the Lakers.
The loss moves Dallas to 2-3 in their last five matchups against Los Angeles and 6-4 in the last 10 meetings between the two Western Conference rivals.
Despite the defeat, the Mavericks moved the ball well, racking up 30 assists—tied for their eighth-most in a game this season. The last time they eclipsed that mark was in Brooklyn on March 24, when they dished out 34 dimes.
Naji Marshall delivered one of his most efficient games in a Mavericks uniform, scoring a team-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go with 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and a steal. His 23 points tied for the seventh-most in a single game in his career—and six of his top eight scoring performances have now come with Dallas.
Marshall also notched his 17th 20-point outing of the season, a massive leap from his pre-Mavs career where he had just five total. His 8 assists tied his third-highest mark in a game, further showcasing his expanded role.
Luka Dončić tied his season-high with 45 points (16-28 FG, 7-10 3FG) and set a new season-best from beyond the arc, hitting 70% of his threes. It marked the 17th time in his career he’s hit 45+ points in a game—Dallas is now 14-3 in those contests.
LeBron James made history yet again, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for 2nd all-time in games played (1,561). He finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 36 minutes.
Anthony Davis added 13 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block—recording his 35th double-double of the season and surpassing Kevin Love for 41st on the NBA’s all-time double-double list (469).
Off the bench, Daniel Gafford chipped in with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, along with 6 boards, 3 assists, and 2 blocks—his third double-digit scoring effort in his last four outings.
