It looked like the good vibes for the Los Angeles Lakers were going to end as they fell behind by 27 points in the first half to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavericks shot the lights out from beyond the arc, while the Lakers floundered offensively. However, they ended the first half on a run that continued well into the second half. Eventually, Los Angeles found their footing and managed to come all the way back to beat Dallas in what ended up being a thrilling game.
The Lakers’ win is the first time during the 2022-23 season that a team was able to win when trailing by 27 points. Previously, the league was 0-138 when facing such a deficit. It also marked the Lakers’ biggest comeback since 2002, which also happened against Dallas.
The hero of the game was Jarred Vanderbilt who seemed like he was everywhere on the floor. Vanderbilt was the catalyst on both ends of the floor, finishing near the basket, grabbing rebounds and taking the challenge of guarding Luka Doncic.
Vanderbilt made several winning plays in the second half and finished the day with an impressive double-double of 15 points, 17 rebounds and four steals.
The frontcourt dominance was in full effect as Anthony Davis was a two-way force. After a slow start shooting the basketball, Davis went to work in the paint using his physicality and length for easy buckets while also hitting shots over shorter defenders.
Davis really shined in the second half as he was much more aggressive in getting to his spots. The star big man capped off his afternoon with a tough jumper over Luka Doncic that gave the Lakers enough breathing room to seal the win. Davis led all scorers with 30 points to go along with 15 rebounds, three blocks, and one steal.
LeBron James also struggled out of the gate but looked more like himself as the game went on. Although he scared fans after falling to the floor and hurting his right foot, he was able to remain in the game where he bullied the Mavericks perimeter players in the post.
Despite the injury, James managed to pour in 26 points while adding eight rebounds and three assists.
For Dallas, they dominated the 3-point makes as they converted 20-of-49 attempts compared to just 6-of-34 from LA.
What’s next for Lakers
Los Angeles continues their road trip with a back-to-back set against the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. They then return home to play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
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