The Los Angeles rode into Dallas, for the first contest of a two-game road trip, with Anthony Davis set to sit out the game in street clothes.
However, LeBron James, with his masterclass, ensured the team clinched the season series against the Dallas Mavericks 3-1 by leading the team to a comfortable 15-point win in this one.
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Here are the takeaways, from a contest that Lakers led by a maximum of 22:
LeBron James' masterclass
In 32 minutes, James finished with 35 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists and was a game-high +13. This was the first time James had recorded at least 35 points and 15 rebounds in a regular-season game.
The King x Diesel @KingJames is the first Lakers player with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists in a game since @SHAQ in 2003. pic.twitter.com/fiLTQqymuC
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) January 11, 2020
En route to his 35 points, he passed Michael Jordan for 4th on the all-time field goals made list:
Congrats to @KingJames of the @Lakers for moving up to 4th on the all-time FIELD GOALS MADE list! #LakeShow @budweiserusa | #LegendaryMoments pic.twitter.com/stnf8ohByE
— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2020
With no Davis, he took over the game right from tip-off and never let the Mavericks slip back into the game. He sparked the Lakers to a season-high points tally of 45 in the first quarter and 79 in the first half.
Kuzma shines in start & Lakers dominate in transition
With Davis out, Kyle Kuzma started his second game of the season and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
He erupted for a season-high 26 points while also grabbing six rebounds and two assists. He caught fire in the first half, scoring 21 (7-13 FG's) of his 26 in the first 24 minutes.
As a team, the Lakers shot 47-of-89 (52.8%) from the field and dominated this game in transition. They scored 21 points off the Mavericks' nine turnovers and outscored their opponents 26-13 in transition.
Another relatively off-game for Luka Doncic
For the second straight game, the 20-year-old Slovenian had an off-game, at least by his high standards.
In 32 minutes, he finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists on 8-of-19 shooting from the field and 1-of-5 from beyond the arc. Late in the second quarter, after missing a couple of free throws, he ripped his jersey in frustration:
Luka Doncic got frustrated after a missed free throw, so he ripped his jersey pic.twitter.com/hcMqVkpe6l
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) January 11, 2020
After going scoreless in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets, Doncic finished a team-low -13 in his time on the floor today.
Luka Doncic on how he handles frustration: “I know I can get better. There’s a lot of things. I’m 20 years old. I’ve got a lot of things that I can do better.” pic.twitter.com/jmTgPjTYS1
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 11, 2020
After winning 10 of 11 until early December, the Mavericks have now gone in 7-9 in their last 16 games and they host the Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers at home on the second night of a back-to-back.
