3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Upset Win Over LA Lakers

The Mavericks finally broke the losing streak with a much-needed win over the Lakers

Jan 7, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy (1) reacts in front of Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (12) after scoring during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks broke their five-game losing streak with a big win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, 118-97. Spencer Dinwiddie said in a mid-game interview that their goal was to hold the Lakers below 100 points, which is exactly what they did. But they also got a massive boost from the three-point line, hitting seven more threes than the Lakers.

Despite a near triple-double from LeBron James, the Mavericks mostly held Anthony Davis in check. He had 21 points, but it came on just 7/18 shooting. Any time you can hold Davis to a performance like that, you'll stand a good chance of winning, especially when Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Daniel Gafford are all out.

Here are three takeaways from this massive win.

READ MORE: Short-Handed Mavericks Break Losing Streak, Upset LeBron James, Lakers, 118-97

1. Kept the Turnovers Down

Dallas has struggled with turnovers, especially since Luka Doncic left the lineup with injury. They had just ten against the Lakers, a massive improvement from the 15 they had against the Grizzlies on Monday night or the 20 they had against the Rockets last week. They can't afford to make mistakes without their two leading stars, and they did a good job in this one.

2. OMQG

Quentin Grimes continues to step up when he's needed, and he delivered one of his best performances on Tuesday night with 23 points, nine rebounds, and six assists on 6/11 shooting from three-point range. He's becoming an untouchable on this roster, even in the last year of his contract. He's been mentioned as a tradeable asset, but the Mavericks need players like this on cheaper contracts who can give them the occasional 20-point performances and shoot better than 40% from three.

3. Much Better Defensive Performance

For Dallas to win without Irving and Doncic, it's going to come on the defensive end mostly. Allowing the near-120 PPG that they were allowing in their five-game losing streak wasn't going to cut it. So they set the tone on defense in this game, holding the Lakers to 45.3% from the floor and 31.4% from three. Holding LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves to a combined 18/44 shooting is going to win games more often than not.

READ MORE: Ridiculous LeBron James Dunk Goes Viral in Mavericks-Lakers

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