Isaiah Thomas Shines in Debut, But Lakers Can't Stop Mavs

*Stats Courtesy of NBA.com*

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.

Lakers Outlast Mavs in Big D

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Julius Randle put up a double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds as the Lakers hold off the Mavericks 107-101 to notch their 4th consecutive win. KCP added 17 points while Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma provided the offense off the bench with 19 points from JC and 18 points from Kuz to go with 10 boards for a double-double.

Final Score: @ Dallas 107-101 (OT) [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180113/LALDAL#/recap

Next Game: @ Memphis (01/15) <-- b="">*Open Thread and Full Recap posts*

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Just give Randle the ball inside and let him do his thing. That was the highlight of this game. The Mavs, as good of an effort they put out this game, they had no answer for Randle inside the paint. He straight up bullied them inside throughout the whole game. And, he came up big for the Lakers in overtime with a critical offensive rebound and the score to give them the lead for good. It's awesome to see how the tables have turned and it seemed like the Lakers knew that their winning streak would be put to the test on the road. This game was an example of two bottom-feeder teams playing for pride. But, in the end, the Lakers came out on top. KCP missed a game-clinching free throw to set this game up into OT. But then again, Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, Harrison Barnes, the way they played from deep, would've tied it up. But, KCP still had a good game. Jordan Clarkson and Kyle Kuzma in the past few games looked pedestrian, but it's good to see them back on their game. Clarkson is finding ways to score. This was the best he looked after being non-existent the past two games. Kuzma is back to shooting efficiently from the field and racking up double-doubles and it was great to see that Kuz is back in form showing off all the total package on offense and the underrated unselfish playmaking ability. It's been awhile since the Lakers notched a winning streak this long. They're rekindling that identity of being aggressive. On another note, Brandon Ingram had an ankle sprain in this game. Reading from it, he sustained it in the early part of the 1st quarter. B.I. played so well the last couple of games and this is the last thing we Laker fans want to hear. Ankle sprains are not always serious though. But, I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers held him out on the MLK Monday game against Memphis for precautionary reasons. The Grizzlies are struggling, there's no denying that. But, Memphis is always a tough place to play at and the Lakers should expect another barn burner for that game. I'll see you guys on Monday.