They should have known what was coming for them, the kind of night that is easier than any other to predict in the NBA.
By the time the Mavericks left the court a loser Monday night in Memphis, it was clear they’d only be a shell of themselves by the time they got back to Dallas, where the Lakers were waiting. Luka Doncic was hurt. Kyrie Irving’s back had him sidelined. And center Daniel Gafford’s sprained ankle meant another key piece for Dallas would be unavailable for a game Anthony Davis labeled a “must win” after the Lakers lost in Houston on Sunday.
Yet every season teams get caught on nights like this, their feet a little heavy, their reactions too slow against a roster energized by the power of opportunity.
More shots, more minutes, more chances — the momentum only builds as players gain confidence. And Tuesday, even though the Lakers had more talent, they couldn’t stop the waves crashing into them.
Dallas beat the Lakers 118-97, the Mavericks blowing the doors off the Lakers in the second half despite being without their key offensive options minus Klay Thompson.
Following a stretch where the Lakers won eight of 11 games, the team has now dropped two in a row.
Former Laker Spencer Dinwiddie scored more than double his season average. Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy doubled their averages off the bench. P.J. Washington scored 10 more than his average. No matter who had the ball, Dallas attacked the Lakers guards and put the defense into help situations they couldn’t handle. Over and over.
Washington finished with 22, Dinwiddie had 19. Grimes scored 23 and Hardy added 15. The Lakers’ point-of-attack defensive failures helped create wide open threes for the Mavericks, who made 18 of them.
Davis scored 21 to lead the Lakers on a night when their offense was completely toothless, even though LeBron James nearly had a triple-double: 20 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
And as their defense faltered, their offense was stuck completely in the mud, the misses piling up until JJ Redick mercifully pulled his regulars in the final minute.
Davis missed 11 of his shots. Austin Reaves missed nine of his. The Lakers ended up shooting 45.3% but it felt way worse.
The Lakers return to Los Angeles for their next eight games, a stretch when they need to rebuild the momentum they lost in Texas.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.