Behind a composed, all-around performance from LeBron James and timely, efficient scoring from Austin Reaves, Los Angeles rolled to a 124-104 victory that felt more decisive than the final margin suggests. The Lakers led for 85% of the game, shot 55.8% from the field, and imposed their will inside from the first quarter on.
Dallas had moments of offensive rhythm, but every small surge was answered. Whether it was LeBron orchestrating, Reaves attacking gaps, or the Lakers dominating the glass 44-28, this one was about steady pressure and sustained execution, the kind that turns a competitive matchup into a comfortable 20-point win.
1. LeBron Controlled Every Phase Of The Game
LeBron James didn’t just score – he orchestrated. He finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in 35 minutes, shooting 10-20 from the field and 6-7 from the line. The triple-double came naturally within the flow of the offense, not from forced possessions.
His command showed up in the team numbers. The Lakers recorded 35 assists on 48 made field goals, and LeBron was responsible for over a third of them. Whenever Dallas made a small push, he either created a high-percentage look inside or slowed the tempo to reset control.
Los Angeles led for 85% of the game and built a lead as large as 22 points, largely because LeBron dictated the pace. The Mavericks never sustained momentum long enough to threaten.
2. Austin Reaves Delivered Hyper-Efficient Scoring
Austin Reaves had an excellent game. In 28 minutes, he scored 18 points, shooting 5-10, made 7-9 free throw attempts, and had 6 assists. He overall played an excellent game. He didn’t take contested shots and shot when there was an open shot.
The Mavericks shot a team 3-point percentage of 26.9%, making 7-26. The Lakers outperformed this grossly, shooting 55.8% and making better shot selections overall.
Reaves kept overriding Dallas’s momentum with his shots. The Mavericks lost control of the game overall, and of the momentum play by play.
3. Lakers Dominated The Glass And The Paint
The rebounding margin told a major part of the story. Los Angeles outrebounded Dallas 44-28, including 10 offensive boards that led to extra possessions and second-chance points.
Jaxson Hayes was a force inside, finishing with 16 points on 8-10 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds. LeBron pulled down 10, while Austin Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt chipped in key boards to keep possessions alive.
That interior dominance translated into 66 points in the paint, compared to Dallas’ 54. Even when the Lakers’ perimeter shooting (32.3% from three) wasn’t elite, they imposed their will inside.
4. Dallas Couldn’t Sustain Efficiency
Dallas’ paper efficiency seems decent, shooting 49.4% from the field, seems decent but their efficiency problems lurked deeper in the numbers. The Mavs only hit 7 three-pointers, had 22 total assists with 15 turnovers.
Among Dallas’ starters, Max Christie had the worst plus-minus of the team with -28 and totalled 19 points. P.J. Washington had 18, and Naji Marshall added 19 points as well. However, their scoring efficiencies did not result in extended runs.
The Mavericks came out slow and only led 7% of the time, and constructed a lead higher than two points only once. Their offense has some good stretches, but their defense was not able to get stops consistently.
5. Balanced Production Sealed It
The Lakers had a two-way production with Rui Hachimura dropping 21 points on 9-13 shooting and Jake LaRavia adding 11. This was definitely a team win as the bench contributed and the Lakers shot 85.7 % (18-21) from free throws. The Mavericks have 15 turnovers while the Lakers only had 13. They also had high points off turnovers with 20 points, while Dallas only had 15.
When you add good defense to good shooting and playmaking (35 assists), you get a 20-point win. The shot 55.8 % for the game and had a strong performance from their stars. The win was definitely protected from the 1st quarter.
