Isaiah Thomas, I.T., made his debut in purple and gold Saturday night, scoring 20 points off the bench while dishing 6 dimes. But, the Mavs had other plans for his debut as they beat the Lakers 123-130 behind a 22-point throwback performance from Dirk Nowitzki. Julius Randle lead all Lakers in scoring with 26 points, also recording a near triple-double by adding 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Brandon Ingram was on target tonight from deep, shooting 4-5 from 3-point land and finishing with 22 points. Brook Lopez added 16 points and KCP added 14 points to round out the starters. Kyle Kuzma was the only Laker with a double-double, notching 12 points and 15 rebounds off the bench.
Final Score: @ Dallas 123-130 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180210/LALDAL#/recap
Next Game: @ New Orleans (02/14)
Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*
This game was marked by horrible effort on the defensive end from the get go. The Mavs were getting open shots all game long, shooting at a high percentage. There was not a whole lot of on ball pressure because when the Mavs had any room to shoot, they were gonna launch it. And almost 100% of the time, that shot is gonna go in. Not to mention, Dallas' size hurt the Lakers small ball lineup down the stretch. Salah Mejri really made a difference as the Mavs' rim protector, swatting a couple of key baskets in the 4th quarter that would've allowed the Lakers to pull away with another road victory. Also, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, their more athletic bigs, were a step ahead of the Lakers' interior defense, resulting in lob after lob after lob. Brook Lopez had a frustrating game, settling for bad 3-point shots. The Mavs didn't have any down low presence until Mejri came in the 4th. Brook should've bodied Dirk all game inside the paint. Those were a couple key points why this Laker team lost. Speaking of Dirk Nowitzki, amazing night for him to turn back the clock with a 22-point game. He and Vince Carter are the last of their kind now from their era. On the flipside, I.T. did look good in his debut. It looked there was nothing wrong with his hip as he was able to drain a couple of threes, be aggressive to the cup, and make the unselfish play at the opportune time. I.T. was what the doctor ordered for the Lakers. A veteran point guard that could score and set teammates up. He did commit the same amount turnovers as he had assists with 5 and some of them were crucial down the stretch. Other than that, not too bad of a debut! Brandon Ingram's 3-point shot continues to fall. 4-5 from beyond the arc, that is impressive. He's gonna be a problem once that shot falls on a consistent basis. Kuzma with a double-double off the bench. He was a machine at crashing the glass. "Bully Ball" Randle feasted inside the paint, although his performance this game was marred by one of Mejri's blocks and Kleber absolutely posterized him in the final seconds of the 4th quarter to seal the deal. The offense clicked, but I've made this remark in the past, this Lakers squad is not built to outlast against teams in a shootout. Even with I.T. on board, that notion still stands. They have to lock it down on the defensive end and push the ball in transition. Last night just wasn't the night for the defense.
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