It was a good job and good effort from the Lakers, but they came up short in their first game since learning that Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves would be out for the rest of the regular season.
With three starters unavailable against Dallas, LA struggled early on defensively. Cooper Flagg made another strong case to be the Rookie of the Year by scoring with ease. He had the Mavs in front by as many as 22 in this game. Dallas had control from the beginning and never let it go.
Still, LeBron James gave
a valiant effort and kept LA in this one. He attacked aggressively and delivered a complete performance, finishing the night with 30 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists.
Thanks to his drive, this game remained competitive throughout.
However, it wasn’t enough to win, and considering that the Mavs are one of the weaker teams in the league, it appears that winning any games for the Lakers the rest of the way will be a tough task.
So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
LeBron James
39 minutes, 30 points, 9 rebounds, 15 assists, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 12-22 FG, 1-6 3PT, 5-9 FT, +1
LeBron was not just the No. 1 option for the Lakers, but he pushed the pace and was the clear leader of this team. It’s a shame the Lakers couldn’t win because this was one of his best performances of the season.
Grade: A
Rui Hachimura
39 minutes, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 foul, 9-13 FG, 3-5 3PT, +5
Hachimura is now back in the starting lineup, and he made the most of his increased minutes. He shot well from the field and was a solid rebounder.
Unfortunately, the Lakers needed even more than what Hachiura provided to win. Still, if he can produce like this, it should position the Lakers to at least remain competitive with what’s left of the season.
Grade: B+
Jake LaRavia
36 minutes, 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers, 6 fouls, 3-11 FG, 1-5 3PT, 7-8 FT, -3
The microphones near the rims at the American Airlines Center must be amplified because LaRavia’s bricks were very loud on the broadcast. The Lakers can’t afford for him to play this poorly.
Grade: D
Deandre Ayton
19 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 2 fouls, 5-9 FG, 3-4 FT, 0
With Luka and Reaves out, this is an opportunity for Ayton to prove to everyone he deserves a bigger role. He responded by having a lackadaisical game and ended up playing less than his backup, Jaxson Hayes
Grade: F
Luke Kennard
41 minutes, 15 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, 5-17 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-4 FT, +8
Luke struggled at first, going 3-10 from the field in the opening half. He bounced back as the game progressed and ended the night with his first-ever triple-double.
Credit to Luke for going above and beyond and stepping up for this shorthanded team. His 16 rebounds as a guard were utterly impressive.
Grade: A+
Maxi Kleber
13 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, +4
Kleber was on the floor for just a handful of minutes and gave the Lakers some two big looks with Hayes also in the game. It was okay, I guess.
Grade: C-
Jarred Vanderbilt
12 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, -19
Vando’s 3-pointer was nice, but his play overall was pretty forgettable in this game.
Grade: C-
Jaxson Hayes
27 minutes, 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 4 fouls, 8-10 FG, 7-8 FT, -5
Hayes was easily the best Lakers big against the Mavs. He scored with authority and converted at a very high rate, despite taking more shots. This has been a good year for Hayes, and if he keeps this up, he might get some starts coming up.
Grade: A+
Kobe Bufkin, Bronny James, Nick Smith Jr.
This trio all played under 10 minutes, so they will not be given a grade.
JJ Redick
Redick is shorthanded and trying to figure out new lineups that can work. He put Bufkin and Smith Jr. out there in the first half to try and get something going. It didn’t do much, and the Lakers are now tied with the Nuggets for the third seed. It’s hard to blame Redick for this loss. The team is just in a very tough spot right now.
Grade: C+
Sunday’s DNPs: Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero
Sunday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Drew Timme, Chris Mañon
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
