- The Mavericks led 48-21 with 7:06 remaining in the second quarter.
- The last time the Lakers had a larger comeback was Dec. 6 2002 when they were trailing Dallas by 30.
- NBA teams were a combined 0-138 this season when trailing by 27 or more points.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Vanderbilt an unsung hero
The Lakers have sorely missed a long, do-it-all forward over the past two seasons. Jarred Vanderbilt wasn’t the headliner of the Westbrook-Russell trade, but there’s a growing likelihood he’s the most impactful player in the deal. Vanderbilt had 15 points, 17 rebounds (a season high) and four steals (tied his season high) against the Mavericks. His eight offensive rebounds tied his career high and helped the Lakers’ offense stay afloat on a night they made just 17.6 percent of their 3s.
After struggling to contain Doncic in the first quarter, Vanderbilt helped hold him to 12 points the rest of the way as LA’s primary on-ball defender. He was especially instrumental during the third-quarter rally. He even connected on a 3-pointer. Aside from his inconsistent jumper, he’s the ideal complement to Davis and James in the frontcourt from a skill-set perspective. The cherry on top: He’s under contract for next season and only making $4.7 million. An absolute steal for LA. — Buha
Jelling at the right time
The Lakers are 4-1 with their new deadline additions available, surging up the Western Conference standings from 13th place to a three-way tie for 11th as of Sunday evening. All five of the Lakers’ opponents have been West Play-In tournament teams (it’s worth noting the Warriors and Pelicans were shorthanded, though the Lakers were without James in two of the five games).
The Lakers have 21 games to get into the top 10. Their goal is to get into the top six and avoid the Play-In. That might be unrealistic, but the early returns on LA’s deadline are very encouraging. This new group has a much higher ceiling and will likely make the Play-In, at the very least. — Buha
What does the blown lead mean for Dallas?
Look, there’s a lot of blame to pass around when a 27-point lead is blown, but one obvious factor in the defeat was the Mavericks’ lack of trusted big men. Jarred Vanderbilt had eight offensive rebounds while Anthony Davis snared another four, and Dallas consistently conceded shots near the rim as the Lakers dismantled their lead.
The Mavericks desperately need Maxi Kleber to return, a backup big man whose defensively versatility, shot blocking, and 3-point shooting. It’s obviously too much to expect him to completely turn around this team’s wretched defensive performances of late, but having another defensive-minded center in the rotation would help. — Cato
Backstory
After scoring just 16 points and going 0-for-10 in the first quarter, Los Angeles outscored the Mavericks 64 to 47 in the second half. The Lakers eventually shook off their slow start and managed at least 30 points in each of their final three quarters Sunday.
Anthony Davis paced Los Angeles with a game-high 30 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. LeBron James finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and three assists while battling through an apparent foot injury.
Jarred Vanderbilt chipped in with 15 points, a season-high 17 rebounds and four steals.
Dallas star Luka Dončić led the Mavericks with 26 points, nine rebounds, five assists. Since Kyrie Irving was traded to Dallas on Feb. 6, they’ve gone 3-4.
The Lakers improve to 29-32 and are in a three-way tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers for 11th in the Western Conference. Dallas falls to 32-30 and sits at sixth in the West.
