You mean you didn’t have Anthony Davis returning to the starting lineup on your Thanksgiving bingo card? Or Ryan Nembhard getting his first career NBA start against Luka Dončić? We didn’t either.
The Mavericks got a much needed three days rest before their Friday night matchup with the Lakers. After a tough stretch of six games in nine nights, five of those games being clutch games, Dallas needed a breather before its west coast road trip. Especially before facing the 13-4 Lakers, who came into the night playing their best basketball of the young season. Not to mention, Lebron James’s recent return to the starting lineup and Dallas would have to find a way to contain the league’s leading scorer (yes you guessed it), Luka Dončić.
Coming into Friday night’s NBA Emirates Cup matchup, each team was on a completely different trajectory, with the Lakers sitting second in the west and the Mavericks at 13th. Despite that, the game was within single digits most of the night, with it being back-and-forth until the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter. Here are four key stat lines that stood out on a night full of surprises for the Mavericks 129-119 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
73 Points for Dončić and Reaves
It was no secret coming into the night, the Mavericks depleted backcourt was heavily out-gunned. Dončić came into the night as the NBA’s best scorer, at 35 points per game with Austin Reaves not far behind, sitting at ninth league-wide at 28 points per game.
The Lakers backcourt duo torched the Mavericks from the jump. The two combined for 73 points on 22-33 (67%)shooting and a ridiculous 10-17 (59%) from three. They also were 19-20 from the free throw line, 95%. The Mavs fell into the boat the rest of the league is in. They simply had no answers for the Lakers elite guard duo.
It was clear from the tip, Dončić was destined to once again prove the Mavericks wrong in their decision to move on from him. He shined as a playmaker as well, adding 11 assists. Mavericks fans also can’t help but continue to wonder where they would be today if Reaves had been included in the blockbuster deal. His breakout 38 points was the true difference in a ten-point game.
As a team, the Lakers shot 45-76 (59%) from the floor, including 18-35 (51%) from three. Coming into Friday, L.A. was 21st in the NBA in three point percentage at 33.9%. It’s hard to beat any team, let alone the Lakers, when they shoot above 50% from beyond the arc.
17 Points for Nembhard, 11 Assists for Flagg
Despite the Lakers red-hot shooting night, the Mavericks had their fair share of positives on the offensive side of the ball too.
Ryan Nembhard was inserted into the starting lineup, his first career NBA start. And he did not disappoint. He notched his career high in points with 17 on 7-11 shooting (64%) and 3-5 from three (60%) in 23 minutes. Nembhard also added 4 assists and 2 rebounds.
Cooper Flagg shined as a playmaker, dishing out a career-high 11 assists. Flagg also added 13 points on 5-11 shooting (45%), 7 rebounds, and 3 steals . He also only recorded a single turnover against a pesky Lakers defense that likes to get out and run. Dallas had a total of only 11 turnovers. The Mavericks also held the edge in total assists over the Lakers 28-27. Dallas shot the ball well from three, 14-32 for 44%. Most nights, that’s good enough to secure a win.
The Mavericks haven’t found much to feel good about a quarter way through the season, but they did on Friday with their two rookies shining under the bright L.A. lights.
14 Maverick offensive rebounds, 26 second chance points
In what started as a vague, yet unlikely possibility at the beginning of the week, Anthony Davis returned against his former team after missing the past 15 games. The Lakers felt his presence.
Size matters. If there’s a place you can find a hole in the Lakers, it’s in the paint. Los Angeles’s lack of front court depth has shown to be a weak point at times for them this season. Dallas took advantage of that. The Mavericks felt the impact of Anthony Davis’s surprising return. In 28 minutes, Davis added 12 points on 6-10 shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks.
Davis’s productive night was a feather in the cap of what was overall a good night inside for the Mavs. They bullied the Lakers for 14 offensive rebounds and had 26 second chance points (compared to just 4 for LA). On a night when it felt like Los Angeles couldn’t miss, Dallas also held the edge on the boards, 39-34.
P.J. Washington continued his phenomenal play this season, chipping in team highs 22 points and 9 rebounds. Despite the injury front for Dallas, Washington has proven he has the ability to be a legitimate threat on both sides of the floor. His size and athleticism wreaks havoc for many teams.
The Lakers are just healthier and better as they moved to 14-4. However, there were more positive takeaways for the now 5-15 Mavericks on Friday. Andrew Nembhard is good enough to start. Cooper Flagg is a complete player. Anthony Davis can contribute on both ends of the floor. The Max Christie leap is real as he continues to be white hot from three.
In the midst of this disappointing season, Dallas’s building blocks are coming to the surface. If they continue to get production out of the rookies and guys like P.J. Washington and Max Christie, the future isn’t as bleak as it feels. There’s a lot to feel good about in Dallas.
The Mavericks have to turn the page quickly as they’ll head across town and play the Clippers on Saturday Night.