The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Dallas Mavericks 129-119 at Crypto.com Arena on Friday in the NBA Cup. Luka Doncic impressed against his former team, but Austin Reaves just about managed to outshine him on the night. It was Reaves whom the NBA on Prime crew interviewed after the game, and Dirk Nowitzki trolled Doncic for it on FaceTime.
“Hey, you weren’t good enough tonight, so we had to take Austin Reaves for the interview,” Nowitzki said. “Sorry, my friend.”
“Ooh there he is. You weren’t good enough tonight so we had to take Austin Reaves for the interview sorry my friend” 😂😂
Luka facetimed Dirk during the show 😂 pic.twitter.com/cvwx5X1ANI
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) November 29, 2025
Doncic had 35 points (10-18 FG), five rebounds, 11 assists, and one block against the Mavericks. The Slovenian had his way with that defense for much of the night, but went a little bit cold in the fourth quarter. Doncic was 0-3 from the field in the period, but it didn’t matter as the Lakers got plenty of contributions from elsewhere.
Reaves had 10 points in the fourth quarter and finished the game with 38 points (12-15 FG), eight rebounds, and three assists. He was ridiculously efficient, and you wouldn’t have thought watching that game that he was up against one of the better defenses in the NBA.
Reaves was so good on the night that even Doncic had no choice but to praise him in his courtside interview postgame.
“I mean, amazing game,” Doncic said. “He’s been amazing the whole season. He’s been helping me a lot. Just great to have him on my team. Together we can do a lot of things, so happy to be his teammate.”
Doncic hilariously added that this was the last time he was going to praise Reaves. The vibes are great right now when it comes to the Lakers.
There was this belief that Reaves might not be quite as effective once LeBron James returns, but all that talk can now be put to bed. This was his second straight 30-point game, and this offense is rolling at the moment.
The Lakers went 45-76 (59.2%) from the field against the Mavericks. They have now scored over 125 points in three of the four games that Reaves, Doncic, and James have played together.
A big reason why the offense is running smoothly is that James has seamlessly slotted in as the third option. The 40-year-old had 13 points (5-13 FG), five rebounds, seven assists, and one steal against the Mavericks. James is content to let the two guards go berserk and get his points within the flow of the offense.
This latest win was the Lakers’ sixth in a row and saw them improve to 14-4 this season and 4-0 in the NBA Cup. They had already advanced to the knockouts prior to this game, and victory here ensured they would host their quarterfinal clash. The Lakers will take on the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 10 at Crypto.com Arena.
That game is still some ways away, though, and the Lakers’ focus at the moment will be on their upcoming clash with the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday at 9:30 PM ET. They beat the Pelicans 118-104 in the Cup back on Nov. 14, and you’d back them to repeat that feat.
