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After a four-game winning streak, the Dallas Mavericks (19-27) blew a fourth-quarter lead in Luka Dončić’s return, as both the offense and defense collapsed late.

This game was a game of runs, as both teams demonstrated long stretches of dominance, with the Lakers final run ending the game.

Let’s not waste any more time, into the grades:

Cooper Flagg: D

16 PTS / 6 AST / 7 REB / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 34 MIN

A frustrating Flagg performance headlined this game, as he missed plenty of easy shots, and had very uneven aggression.

Flagg struggled to capitalize on some of his easy shots, as he blew some shots he would normally make. He also struggled from behind the arc, as his elevation and shot form was inconsistent.

While a bad game from Cooper is frustrating his process was good, and he made multiple impact plays defensively. Overall, Flagg almost always bounces back from a down performance, so expect a great game on Sunday.

Max Christie: A

24 PTS / 3 AST / 2 REB / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 35 MIN

Cormac Karl “Max” Christie continues to showcase his expanding skillset, as his three-level scoring was on display. Christie was able to leverage his three point shooting by attacking closeouts and mismatches, which is a skill that has become incredibly valuable in the modern NBA.

Christie is a foundational piece of this team, and every game only solidifies his position as the second most important player on the team.

Naji Marshall: B+

21 PTS / 2 AST / 11 REB / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 37 MIN

While the Mavericks’ season has been incredibly uneven, Marshall’s contributions have been a steady constant in every game. His short-range shot-making gave the Lakers problems all game long, and he also popped on the offensive glass.

This type of shot making provides a unique spacing advantage, as even though his three point shooting is lacking, defenders still have to show him respect on the perimeter.

Should the Mavericks trade Naji? Maybe, but only if significant draft compensation is involved.

Caleb Martin: A+

17 PTS / 1 AST / 3 REB / 1 STL / 2 BLK – 24 MIN

A few months ago, I called Caleb Martin the worst player in the NBA.

Oh how things have changed.

Martin has started the last six games and has provided very solid production offensively, which is a stark difference to the first 30 games of the year.

If Martin can keep this up, he could solidify himself as a rotational player for next year’s squad.

Dwight Powell: C

0 PTS / 2 AST / 7 REB / 2 STL / 1 BLK – 24 MIN

Dwight Powell was unfortunately on the other side of the vaunted Doncic pick-and-roll game, and Powell was hunted all night.

Powell can be a solid spot starter and rotational big, but his limitations were on full display in this game. He also struggled to finish at the rim, which hurt especially bad in the 4th quarter.

Daniel Gafford: C-

2 PTS / 1 AST / 2 REB / 0 STL / 2 BLK – 16 MIN

Daniel Gafford continues to stack forgettable performances, struggling to impact the game in any real aspect.

While he was on a minutes restriction, the 16 minutes he did play were unimpactful.

The Mavericks should should heavily explore Gafford trade options, as he no longer fits this roster or system.

P.J. Washington: D-

2 PTS / 3 REB / 0 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 26 MIN

If the Mavericks are going to win games, they cannot survive this level of performance from Washington, as it was a throwback to his days with the Charlotte Hornets.

It’s no secret that Washington feasted on the easy looks that Dončić created, but the utter void of offensive production is incredibly worrying.

Not only has his offense been mediocre, but his elite defensive impact has not been felt.

While I’m not giving up on Washington, questions have to be asked as to whether he makes sense on the team long-term.

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Sydney Woodley had 23 points and Gia Cooke scored 21 as No. 22 West Virginia overcame a 13-point deficit to beat BYU 91-77 on Saturday night.

Woodley made 6 of 7 shots and 11 of 12 free throws for the Mountaineers (17-4, 7-2 Big 12 Conference), adding four steals. Cooke hit four 3-pointers and handed out four assists.

Carter McCray posted her first double-double this season for West Virginia with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Harrison pitched in with 11 points, six assists and four steals and Kierra Wheeler also scored 11.

Sophomore Delaney Gibb scored a season-high 28 for the Cougars (15-5, 4-4). Reserve Olivia Hamlin scored 13 and Marya Hudgins had 10 points, seven rebounds and six of BYU's 25 turnovers.

Hamlin hit a 3-pointer and Bolanie Yussuf scored in the paint to cap a 20-7 game-opening run for BYU. Cooke hit a 3-pointer to spark a 9-1 run and West Virginia closed within 21-16 after one quarter.

The Mountaineers used a 15-3 second-quarter run to take a 35-32 lead on the way to a 41-38 advantage at halftime.

Gibb opened the second half with a 3-pointer to pull BYU even. Sydney Shaw answered with a 3-pointer and Cooke and Harrison scored in the paint to finish a 14-2 run as West Virginia took its first double-digit lead at 55-43. Gibb had eight points from there to help the Cougars cut it to 62-55 heading to the fourth quarter.

West Virginia used an 8-2 run to up its lead 70-57 to start the final period and wasn't threatened.

BYU went 1-2 in three straight home games against ranked teams — losing 69-58 to No. 18 Baylor before beating No. 19 Texas Tech 73-61.

West Virginia: At Utah on Tuesday.

BYU: At Oklahoma State on Wednesday.

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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, OG Anunoby added 23 and the New York Knicks followed their most lopsided win in franchise history with a 112-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.

The Knicks crushed the Nets 120-66 on Wednesday and then exploded with a 30-point third quarter in a stiffer road test that sent them to their first win in three tries this season over the 76ers.

Joel Embiid had 38 points and 11 rebounds, but turned the ball over on the final play of the game after the Knicks seemingly tried to intentionally foul him. Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points for the Sixers but shot an airball on a late tying 3-point attempt from near halfcourt as he anticipated an intentional foul that didn’t come.

The 76ers had pulled within two late until Anunoby and Landry Shamet followed with consecutive 3s that helped the Knicks stave off the late-game collapse.

Led by Brunson, the Knicks opened the quarter on a 21-7 run and made Philly sound a bit like the inside of Madison Square Garden. The “Let’s go Knicks!” chants that had largely been tamped down by boos in a competitive first half, instead filled the arena with each big Knicks bucket.

Brunson gave a little wave after he buried a 3 for an 84-72 lead. Embiid tried to rally the Sixers and his three-point play in the fourth — aided by a sixth foul on Karl-AnthonyTowns — cut it to 98-92.

It wasn’t enough and a Knicks team that had lost nine of its previous 11 games heading into the Nets game has now won two straight. Modest, yes, but good enough to ensure the Sixers didn’t gain ground on them in the East standings.

HORNETS 119, WIZARDS 115

CHARLOTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 21 points as the Charlotte Hornets beat Washington, sending the Wizards to their ninth straight loss.

Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball each scored 20 points, Kon Knueppel added 16 and Moussa Diabate 11 as the Hornets won consecutive games for the first time since January 3-5 against Chicago and Oklahoma City.

Tre Johnson had career-highs of 26 points and six assists for the Wizards, who, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, fielded the youngest starting lineup, by average age, since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71. Washington’s starting five, at an average age of 20.64 years old, beat the previous youngest lineup of 20.74, fielded by Oklahoma City on April 10, 2021 against Philadelphia.

CAVALIERS 119, MAGIC 105

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his 36 points in the second half and Cleveland pulled away to a win over Orlando.

Jaylon Tyson added 17 points for the Cavaliers and Evan Mobley had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 27 points. Desmond Bane added 20 points and Anthony Black finished with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Jalen Suggs returned after missing eight games with a bruised right knee and had 9 points and six assists in 24 minutes for Orlando.

Playing without Darius Garland (sore toe) and DeAndre Hunter (sore knee), the Cavaliers won for the fifth time in six games.

After Mitchell scored on four layups and a short bank shot in the third quarter, Cleveland got 3-pointers from Lonzo Ball, Mobley and Tyrese Proctor in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 97-79 lead, the largest of the game.

Banchero hit three 3-pointers in the final period, but the Magic could get no closer than nine.

Mitchell made 15 of 30 shots and had nine assists and two steals.

BULLS 114, CELTICS 111

CHICAGO (AP) — Kevin Huerter made a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, lifting Chicago past Boston before retiring Derrick Rose’s jersey number.

Coby White scored 22 points and hit five of Chicago’s 21 3s, helping the Bulls win their fourth straight.

Rose entered rarified air after the game when the Bulls sent his No. 1 to the rafters, putting the Chicago product alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love as the only players with numbers retired by the team.

The Bulls gave their crowd plenty to cheer before they honored the South Side product and former MVP by squeezing out a win over the Eastern Conference’s second-place team, even though Jaylen Brown scored 33 for Boston.

Chicago led 111-109 when White missed a driving layup and Smith missed the putback with 20 seconds remaining. Brown got the rebound and drove for a layup to tie it with 14 seconds left.

The Bulls called a timeout and worked the ball to Huerter, who nailed a 3 from the corner with less than a second remaining. Huerter arrived at United Center wearing a No. 1 jersey in honor of Rose.

Nikola Vucevic scored 16 for Chicago, and Smith and Matas Buzelis added 14 points apiece.

LAKERS 116, MAVERICKS 110

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 33 points and 11 assists, and the Lakers erased a 15-point deficit in the final seven minutes of a victory over the Mavericks in the star guard’s second visit to Dallas since his shocking trade to Los Angeles almost a year ago.

LeBron James scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, when Rui Hachimura had a four-point play before another 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Lakers in front for good as Doncic improved to 4-0 against his former team.

Hachimura’s 3-pointer for a 108-106 lead started an 11-2 run that Doncic capped with a driving layup for an eight-point edge, prompting the Slovenian star to turn his old bench and declare the game over.

Max Christie, who came to Dallas along with injured 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis in the trade for Doncic, scored 24 points. Naji Marshall had 21 points and 11 rebounds as Dallas’ season-best four-game winning streak ended.

The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 41-14 from the start of the third quarter until early in the fourth, turning a 13-point deficit into a 14-point lead. Brandon Williams, who scored 20 points, had eight on a 10-2 run to finish the third, which started with a 20-4 Dallas burst.

The lead was 15 points with less than 7 minutes remaining when the Lakers started their rally, sparked by James after a slow start had him with a minus-28 rating early in the fourth.

HEAT 147, JAZZ 116

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 26 points and 15 rebounds to lead Miami to a victory over Utah.

Nikola Jovic added 23 points and Pelle Larsson had 20 as the Heat matched their most points in a game this season. Miami beat Denver 147-123 last month.

The Heat, who are 2-2 on their five-game West Coast road trip, narrowly ended its streak of nine straight games allowing 117 points or more.

Jusuf Nurkic had 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to become the first player in Jazz history with three consecutive triple-doubles. He had only one triple-double in his career before this streak, and the last came on Jan. 16, 2019, while playing for Portland.

Brice Sensabaugh scored 23 points for the Jazz, which has lost six of seven. Keyonte George finished with 19 points.

The Heat took the lead for good with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter and cruised to a 73-52 lead at halftime.

_____

Luka Doncic was met with a chorus of cheers when he strolled onto the court at American Airlines Center to do his pregame shooting routine.

“We love you Luka,” the fans chanted. “We love you.”

Doncic smiled and waved toward the crowd. He had spent six-plus seasons playing for the Mavericks, a place he thought he would call home for his entire career as the face of the franchise.

But a stunning, three-team trade last year sent Doncic to the Lakers.

Doncic returned to Dallas for the second time since the trade, leading the Lakers to a 116-110 comeback win on cold and icy Saturday night.

Read more:LeBron James downplays reported rift with Jeanie Buss: 'It's always been respect'

Doncic was magnificent with 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as he improved to 4-0 against his former team.

“Obviously, there’s always going to be emotions,” Doncic said. “I was happy to be back here. I went to my house. I saw my cars. But obviously it’s always going to be emotions. I really appreciate how they cheered for me when I was introduced. It’s always going to be a special place for me.”

LeBron James finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Rui Hachimura had 17 points and eight rebounds and Marcus Smart had 13 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

“I’m always going to want to win, no matter what,” Doncic said. “But obviously this win is a little different."

The Lakers (27-17) led by 14 points at one point before going down by 15 in the fourth quarter.

They made a stirring comeback late in the fourth quarter behind Hachimura, who went on a 7-0 run. He made a three-pointer while being fouled and made the subsequent free throw. He then hit another three to put the Lakers ahead 108-106, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

“I think we were sharing the ball today and Luka was getting double-teamed in the last five minutes. So, I think that was a good look for us,” Hachimura said. “We talked about how we had to share the ball and find each other and I ended up shooting the last shot. So, yeah, I think it was good by the whole team.”

Hachimura was six for 13 from the field and four for seven from three-point range.

“He took his shots tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “And we're all very confident in him. He's a laser. He's a fantastic shooter. The four-point play followed by the three, that seven-point swing where we're down five and go up two in the matter of 30 seconds was huge.”

After Cooper Flagg made one of two free throws, Smart grabbed a rebound off a missed Hachimura three-pointer and scored despite dislocating his right index finger earlier in the quarter.

"I was like, 'I don't want to come out of the game, so I'm trying to pop it back in real quick,’” Smart said. “It was able to go back in."

James followed Smart’s play with a tip-in. Doncic made two free throws to finish off the Mavericks (19-27) after Naji Marshall was called for a charge.

Read more:Lakers admit thinking about contracts, LeBron calls for changes after loss to Clippers

In the first quarter, Doncic shot a three-pointer over Brandon Williams to give him 1,500 career threes, making him the youngest player in NBA history to accomplish the feat.

“There were still emotions, trust me. But a little bit better, a little bit easier for me," Doncic said. "How the fans accept me here, it’s unbelievable. I still got a lot of friends here, players, some other people. So I’m happy to be back a little bit.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

DALLAS — Since shockingly being traded to Los Angeles nearly a year ago, Lakers star Luka Dončić didn’t know what losing a basketball game to the Mavericks felt like. 

And he still doesn’t.

The Lakers beat the Mavericks 116-110 on Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dončić’s second game back in Dallas, and fourth matchup against his former team since the franchise traded him Feb. 2, 2025. 

For a significant part of the second half, it looked like the Lakers were on the path to losing their first game against the Mavericks since acquiring Dončić.

The Mavericks’ dominant third quarter, which they won 35-14, gave them an 87-79 lead going into the fourth. And a strong start to the quarter for Dallas gave the Mavericks a 93-79 advantage.

But the Lakers, like they have in the last three games, unlocked a different gear late in the game, outscoring the Mavericks 29-8 in the final 7 ½ minutes, helping Dončić’s remain undefeated (4-0) against his former team. 

Dončić, as he does most nights, led the Lakers with 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. 

But it was the late-game energetic plays from Marcus Smart (13 points, seven rebounds and three assists) that shifted the momentum to the Lakers.

And a pair of late 3-pointers from Rui Hachimura (17 points) — including one he got fouled on — gave the Lakers their first lead, 108-106, since midway through the third quarter. 

Smart helped the Lakers maintain momentum with a putback layup after a missed Hachimura 3 with 1:40 left, putting the Lakers up 110-107.

LeBron James (17 points, eight rebounds and five assists) had another putback layup with 1:30 left to give the Lakers a 112-107 lead. The Lakers led by at least five points the rest of the way. 

What does it mean?

From a standings standpoint, the Lakers (27-17) stay at No. 5 in the crowded Western Conference.

And from a rhythm standpoint, it helps gives the Lakers a shot to stack wins after losing five of their last eight.

The Lakers are 12-13 since Dec. 1, only going on a three-game winning streak once since November ended, but have won three of their last four.  

Turning point

When Lakers Coach JJ Redick went with a small-ball lineup of Dončić, Smart, James, Hachimura and Jake LaRavia for the final 9:38 of the game after Hachimura subbed in for Deandre Ayton, who struggled scoring with 9 points on 4-of-16 shooting to go with 11 rebounds.

The Lakers outscored Dallas 36-17 behind their small-ball unit.

MVP: Luka Dončić

Dončić not only led the Lakers in scoring, but individually got six straight stops in the fourth as part of the Lakers’ defensive turnaround.

“Just a fantastic job from him,” Redick said of Dončić. Then makes sort-of the game-sealing defensive play with the charge on [Naji] Marshall. He was fantastic in the fourth quarter. Just picked apart their defense down the stretch.”

Stat of the game: 10 possessions

That’s how many possessions — a near six-minute stretch — in which the Lakers went without scoring in the third, helping Dallas go on a 16-0 run to take a 72-69 lead.

Up next

The Lakers’ eight-game Grammy trip continues with a matchup against the Bulls in Chicago on Monday at 5 p.m. 

It’ll be the Lakers’ first matchup against an Eastern Conference team on the road since they beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 7 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. 

The Lakers have played five of their 14 games road games against Eastern Conference foes so far, going 3-2.

The Dallas Mavericks (19-27) crumbled in the fourth quarter on Saturday, in Luka Dončić’s second trip to American Airlines Center in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform, wilting in the face of a late 23-5 run behind two clutch 3-pointers from Rui Hachimura in the 116-110 loss. The Lakers (27-17) got a game-high 33 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists from Dončić in the comeback win.

LeBron James, who had scored just six points through the game’s first three quarters, poured in 11 of his 17 points down the stretch as the Mavericks’ four-game winning streak, their longest of the 2025-26 season, came to an abrupt halt.

Max Christie led the Mavericks with 24 points on four made 3-pointers in the loss, while Naji Marshall added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Brandon Williams contributed 20 off the bench in the loss as well.

Luka on the hunt

Dončić missed his first 3-point attempt of the game, then pulled his patented step-back out of his bag while being defended by Naji Marshall with 5:30 left in the first quarter to tie the game at 16-16. Three possessions later he hit another vintage step-back 3-ball from the left wing to give the Lakers a 21-18 advantage. Dončić led Los Angeles with 12 points on 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range and four assists in the first quarter as the Lakers led 37-28 after one.

Dončić snuck into the lane and scored a cheap one over Marshall for his first bucket of the second quarter to put the Lakers up 50-38 midway through the frame. He came into the game leading the league in free-throw attempts this year and made nine of his 10 attempts from the stripe in the first half on his way to a game-high 17 points to go along with seven assists and six boards.

Dončić absorbed the contact in the lane for a driving bucket through Daniel Gafford, his first of the third, to pull LA to within 72-71, before canning his third 3-ball of the night a minute later to pull the Lakers back in front, 74-72, still early in the third quarter.

Hunting Luka

Dončić’s hot start on offense didn’t stop the Mavericks from hunting him on the defensive end, though.

Flagg drove and dished after getting Luka Dončić switched onto him early in the first, finding Christie open for a 3-pointer out on the right wing to put the Mavericks up 9-7. Flagg rose up over Dončić two possessions later for a mid-range pull-up jumper to extend the early lead to 11-7. The Lakers settled into a two-three zone after the Mavs’ early success hunting Luka on the offensive end, which seemed to stall the Mavs’ momentum a little. All five of Dallas’ first-quarter turnovers came in the frame’s last 5:40, after the Lakers switched to the zone defense.

The Mavs turned the ball over four more times in the first 6:20 of the second quarter, further disrupting the offensive rhythm Dallas established early on by hunting matchups against Dončić. Dončić had trouble keeping Mavericks attackers in front of him throughout the third quarter as well, as Dallas stormed back with a 16-4 run to start the second half.

Coop and Christie

So much of this season has been searching out which of Flagg’s teammates complement the rookie sensation’s game. Saturday’s game gave us further proof that Christie is absolutely one of those guys. They just play off one another well.

Christie was the Mavericks’ saving grace in the second quarter, as he pump-faked and shuffled to his right for his third 3-pointer of the game to pull Dallas to within 46-38 with 7:46 left before the half. He bailed the Mavs out late in the shot clock with a jumper over James midway through the second to keep Dallas connected, down 50-40. He sprinted out in transition along the right wing and finished the break with a dunk assisted by Flagg to give him 13 points to that point. Flagg found him wide open under the basket as Dončić lost Christie on defense the next time down to give him a team-high 15 and pull the Mavs to within 10, down 57-47 with 3:40 left in the first half. Dallas trailed 65-52 at the half.

Christie came into the game scoring better than 17 points per game this January and continued his tear in the second half.

After a silent second quarter, Flagg was more decisive in the third, even if his shot wasn’t falling. He drove through the teeth of the Los Angeles defense for his first score since late in the first quarter on the Mavs’ second possession of the third. Christie found Flagg for a corner 3-pointer with 8:30 left in the third to bring Dallas to within 69-63, before Flagg sucked the LA defense in and found Christie alone in the opposite corner the next time down for Christie’s fourth 3-pointer of the game. The Lakers called a timeout, up 69-66, with 7:56 left in the third.

Flagg got one to go in the lane to see-saw the Mavs back in front, 70-69, before taking a steal the next time down and finding Caleb Martin for a transition score midway through the third to give Dallas a 72-69 advantage. Christie got past James for his first score of the fourth quarter with 8:15 left in the game to put the Mavs ahead 99-85 and give Christie 20 or more points in his fourth-straight game.

Birthday boy

Marshall came into the matchup with the Lakers off one of his best nights in a Mavericks’ uniform in Thursday’s 123-115 win over the Golden State Warriors, when he scored 30 points on 10-of-12 shooting and dished nine dimes in the impressive win. His performance on his 28th birthday on Saturday may have been comparatively muted, but he still pulled more than his weight against LA.

Marshall scored 10 of his 21 points in the first half and pulled down 11 rebounds in the loss. He has been one of the most consistent Mavericks this season and is no doubt one of the team’s most intriguing players as the trade deadline looms, less than two weeks away. He added two more buckets early in the third as the Mavs continued to search for offensive rhythm.

Marshall’s third driving score of the third came as part of a 16-4 run to open the second half and pulled Dallas to within one, 69-68, with 7:30 left in the frame.

B-Will makes waves late

Brandon Williams scored all eight of his third-quarter points in the frame’s final 2:40 to add some fuel to the Mavericks’ third-quarter about-face. He fended off the much bigger Vanderbilt for a banking score with three seconds left in the third to extend the Dallas lead to eight, up 87-79 going into the fourth.

Williams shot 4-of-6 in the third after the Lakers moved back in front, 74-72, on Dončić’s 3-pointer earlier in the frame. The diminutive guard score a three-point play on the Mavericks’ first possession of the fourth, this time over Lakers’ big man Deandre Ayton, to give Williams 20 points on the night.

The next time down, Williams found Martin in the corner for his fourth assist and Martin’s second 3-pointer of the game to extend the Dallas lead to 14, up 93-79, and force a Laker timeout with 10:49 left to play. Martin was also solid for the Mavericks in the win over the Lakers, scoring 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

Collapse

But the Lakers had one more late run left in the tank behind Dončić, James and Hachimura, who nailed two 3-pointers in the game’s final three minutes, including a four-play with 2:15 left to play when P.J. Washington swiped at Hachimura while running under the shot. Hachimura’s second came two possessions later and gave the Lakers back a 108-06 lead, as part of a 23-5 run in the game’s final 7:30.

After the Mavericks dominated the Lakers so thoroughly in the third, LA had something for them down the stretch, as Flagg and Dallas’ scrappy gang of role players ran out of juice. Flagg shot just 7-of-20 from the field in the loss, finishing with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Lakers led by as many as 14 and trailed by as many as 15 before coming from behind down the stretch to beat the Mavs, 116-110.

The Lakers used a strong first half to hold a comfortable lead for much of the second half. All of that disappeared in the third quarter as LA was thoroughly outplayed, losing the period 35-14. Dallas scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to make it a prolonged 41-14 run.

After eventually settling the ship, the Lakers mounted a comeback led by Marcus Smart, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. A pair of huge 3-pointers from Rui gave the Lakers a lead in the fourth that they would not relinquish as they closed out the win.

The game began with LeBron James and Cooper Flagg exchanging baskets. Former Laker Max Christie knocked down two 3-pointers. Deandre Ayton was off to a good start for LA, scoring four points. Quite a few fouls were called, resulting in eight free throws between the teams. 

At the five-minute mark, the game was tied.

Luka Dončić was the first player in double figures with 10. He also drained two out of his three attempts from behind the arc. Rui Hachimura scored a quick five points off the bench. Jarred Vanderbilt once again provided excellent energy and hustle. He also scored five points, three of which came from a corner triple. 

At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by nine. 

The second period started with a 3-pointer by Marcus Smart. Caleb Martin responded on the other end with a triple of his own. Los Angeles was putting in a good effort defensively, holding the Mavericks to 40% shooting, allowing the Lakers to extend their lead to double digits.

At the 5:16 mark, LA was up by 14.

Los Angeles was having a pretty good half from behind the arc, shooting 50% compared to Dallas’ 41%. Christie continued to light up his former team, pushing his point total to 13. Hachimura was a bright spot offensively off the bench for LA with 10 points. 

At halftime, Los Angeles was up by 13. 

Naji Marshall opened the third period by scoring in the paint. LeBron responded with a midrange jumper on the other end. The teams exchanged two more baskets until shots stopped falling for the purple and gold, while Dallas scored four in a row. 

The scoring run grew to 10-0 for the Mavericks, making it a three-point game. The Lakers were forced to call a timeout to regroup. Out of the break, Marshall scored on a layup.

Dallas jumped ahead by one thanks to a runner in the paint by Flagg. 

Luka stopped some of the bleeding with five points for LA, giving them the lead back. Both teams also exchanged triples, keeping the game tied. Brandon Williams was having a great game off the bench for the Mavericks with 17 points. 

Los Angeles shot an atrocious 31% from the field in the third. They allowed Dallas to score 35 points to their disastrous 14 points. Going into the fourth period, the Lakers were down by eight. 

The final frame began with Drew Timme airballing a 3-pointer, which was a great example of how terrible this game became for LA. Williams then continued his strong performance, converting on a three-point play. Los Angeles called a timeout again after Martin drained a 3-pointer.

Dallas’ lead was now at 14. 

Martin pushed his point total to 17 points, draining his third triple of the game. LeBron started taking over offensively, trying to will his team to a comeback, scoring seven points to cut the deficit to single digits.

At the 5:06 mark, LA was down by eight.

LaRavia then knocked down a triple after Smart stole the ball from Flagg. With just over three minutes remaining, the Mavs led by five after a pair of Christie freebies. 

A layup by Luka made it a three-point game, once more. 

Christie was sent to the line again and converted on both free throws.

Hachimura drained a 3-pointer and drew the foul, completing the four-point play with 2:44 remaining. Hachimura then knocked down another 3-pointer on the next possession, giving the Lakers the lead.

Flagg converted on a free throw after he was fouled to make it a one-point game. Smart then scored two on a putback layup off a missed three by Hachimura, putting LA up three with 1:40 left. LeBron extended the lead to five with a layup. 

Luka added the finishing touches on an impressive 27-9 scoring run with four points of his own and while drawing a charge to seal the win. 

Key Player Stats

Dončić finished the game with 33 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. LeBron ended with 17 points after coming alive in the fourth to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Jake LaRavia pitched in with 13 points.

Smart scored 13 points with seven rebounds and three assists. Hachimura notched 17 points with eight rebounds off the bench. Ayton struggled mightily, scoring nine points on 4-16 shooting. Vanderbilt pitched in with eight points, four rebounds and two assists. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Chicago Bulls on Monday at 5:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

PHILADELPHIA — Mikal Bridges could build a house in his native city with the many bricks he put up there.

The Philadelphia product and Villanova alumnus shot a brutal 3-for-16 from the field and 1-for-9 from 3-point range in the Knicks’ 112-109 win over the 76ers on Saturday afternoon.

He also sat the last 5:24.

Instead, coach Mike Brown decided to roll with Landry Shamet and Miles McBride down the stretch over the struggling Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, who had fouled out earlier in the quarter. It was a small lineup — with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby primarily on the floor with Shamet and McBride.

That meant Anunoby had to guard Joel Embiid.

“We can’t do anything like that if you don’t have a guy like OG,” Brown said. “OG allows us to play the basketball game in a lot of different ways. So, we were able to do it.”

Shamet and McBride — and Mitchell Robinson — filled in admirably for Bridges and Towns. The Knicks had a 17-point advantage in points off the bench.

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“Some nights, that [bench scoring] is going to have a huge onus on it,” Shamet said. “Some nights it’s not. Some nights it’s just going to change. I’ve been saying that the entire time I’ve been here because we have that group, it’s a carousel. Some nights, it’s going to be a heavy bench night where we come in and pick it up. Other nights, our first five have it going and the ball doesn’t find us as much. That’s the beauty of our team. We’re built that way. We’ve got to be adaptable and find ways to win games as difficulties and challenges within the game are presented to us.”

Towns managed to foul out in just 16 minutes on the floor and was minus-6. The Knicks were actually better when he was on the bench.

“We gotta just have other guys step up,” Brown said. “We can’t control the fouls called, so if somebody is in foul trouble, hopefully the next guy can step up and play the right way to help us get a win.”