The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a crushing 118-97 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, despite the Lakers fielding their superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Surprisingly, the Mavericks were without their own star pairing, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but still managed to pull off a commanding victory behind standout performances from role players Quentin Grimes and PJ Washington.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Mavericks and improved their record to 21-16, putting them just ahead of the Lakers in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Lakers, now 20-16, have dropped to sixth in the West.
Lakers Suffer Blowout Loss To The Dallas Mavericks Despite Big Duo In Action
The Lakers were expected to have the upper hand given the absence of Doncic and Irving. The game, however, took a different turn early on. While the Lakers led 27-24 at the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks seized control in the second quarter and never looked back. By halftime, Dallas had established a double-digit lead and extended it in the second half with relentless energy and efficient shooting.
Quentin Grimes had a career night, recording his first 20/5/5 game as a Maverick. He scored 23 points, had nine rebounds, six assists, and shot 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. PJ Washington was equally impactful. He finished with 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, along with eight rebounds and a perfect 3-of-3 from deep.
Quentin Grimes off the bench:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 8, 2025
23 PTS
9 REB
6 AST (0 TOV)
6 3P
His first 20/5/5 game as a Mav. pic.twitter.com/r889neNo5i
Spencer Dinwiddie added 19 points, eight assists, and six rebounds on 8-15 shooting. Jaden Hardy chipped in with 15 points, shooting 6-11 from the field, and Klay Thompson added 13 points and two assists in the win.
The Lakers’ stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, couldn’t match the Mavericks’ balanced attack. Davis led the team with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while James added 18 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Austin Reaves provided some spark with 15 points. Max Christie scored 12 points, and rookie Dalton Knecht added 13 points.
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The Mavs will face the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday while the Lakers will take on the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday as well.
