LeBron James and Anthony Davis joined forces today in the Los Angeles Lakers’ comfortable victory over the Dallas Mavericks of Luka Doncic, who could not lead his team to victory in the most outstanding game of the special day of the NBA for Christmas Day .
Marc Gasol, that on Tuesday he had an unfortunate debut with the Los Angeles team, he was very active in the paint today with 9 rebounds and also added 2 points in the 19 minutes he played. The Spanish pivot came out today again in the starting five.
James (22 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds) and Davis (28 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists) led an unstoppable Lakers on offense who scored their first win of the season and thus made up for Tuesday’s loss to their neighbors and rivals the Los Angeles Clippers.
For its part, Doncic He was excellent with 27 points (9 of 19 shooting), 7 assists and 4 rebounds, but he was very alone in the attack of some Mavericks who have started the season on the left foot after losing their first two games.
The best of @Lakers in the win over Dallas #SantaNBA pic.twitter.com/SCpCPSWIaa
– NBA Spain (@NBAspain) December 26, 2020
He duel between James and Doncic It was the main attraction of this meeting and the Slovenian did not shrink since from the beginning he was paired in defense with the Lakers star.
The winners of the title in the “bubble” of Orlando (USA) came out plugged and, with a very aggressive Davis facing the basket (7 points in the first five minutes), they opened the first gap on the scoreboard (18- 12).
The Mavericks did not lose patience and stayed close to the purple and gold at the end of the first quarter (33-30) thanks to the contribution of Doncic and Finney-Smith (8 points per head in that quarter).
Harrell’s intensity in the paint and the threat from Morris and Caruso’s perimeter served to get the Lakers off the ground (54-41).
The Texan team tried to respond with a 1-9 partial, but Davis (18 points and 6 rebounds at halftime) and James (14 points and 7 assists) submitted a misguided Doncic in the shot (11 points, 3 of 10) who saw the Lakers go to the locker room with a notable advantage after a triple in the last second by Kuzma (69-57).
What a wonder ?
Lebron #SantaNBA pic.twitter.com/P9k71qcsDz
– NBA Spain (@NBAspain) December 26, 2020
The script did not change excessively in the beginning of the second half. The Lakers then achieved their maximum advantage so far (80-63) and the Mavericks, short of fang in defense all night (they conceded 17 offensive rebounds), held on to the game thanks to a willful Doncic (12 points in the third fourth).
However, Schroder and Harrell, Two of the most outstanding additions of the Lakers for this new season, they kept their new team ahead and without excessive difficulties before the last twelve minutes (99-85).
Finally, the Lakers took advantage of Doncic’s rest minutes at the start of the fourth quarter to consolidate a difference (104-87) that the Mavericks could no longer counteract.
