LOS ANGELES — The familiar faces on the court at Crypto.com Arena, and what will be a long-lasting connection between the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, didn’t take away from the spirit of competition.
Because even with Anthony Davis playing his first road game against his former team since the trade that sent him to Dallas and brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, with the fans cheering for Davis as he was introduced during the Mavericks’ starting lineup introductions, it didn’t take the Lakers’ eyes off of the prize for what was at stake on Friday night.
And with their 129-119 victory over the Mavericks, the Lakers secured home-court advantage for their NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup after finishing 4-0 atop West Group B.
They will host the San Antonio Spurs in the knockout round on Dec. 10 with top-seeded Oklahoma City to face Phoenix in the other Western Conference game.
The Lakers (14-4) also extended their winning streak to six games, their season-best mark after topping their five-game win streak that ran from Oct. 29-Nov. 5.
Austin Reaves (38 points, eight rebounds and three assists) and Luka Doncic (35 points, 11 assists and five rebounds) led the Lakers on Friday night, balancing each other’s strong offensive quarters to help their team secure the victory.
LeBron James added 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a game in which all five Lakers starters scored in double figures.
Deandre Ayton finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocked shots, while Rui Hachimura had 14 points and four rebounds, knocking down four second-half 3-pointers.
Davis finished with 12 points, five rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots in 28 minutes against his former team.
PJ Washington had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the Mavericks. Ryan Nembhard scored 17 for Dallas, while Max Christie added 13 points against his former team. Rookie Cooper Flagg had 13 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds, but the Mavericks lost for the fifth time in six games.
Doncic was rolling early, scoring 10 first-quarter points, while Reaves had 14 second-quarter points, with Reaves having 19 points and five rebounds at halftime, while Doncic had 18 points and four assists.
But the Mavericks led 62-60 at halftime because of 12 second-chance points in the first half and their advantage in the possession battle.
The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 69-57 in the second half, with the starters combining for all but two of those points in the final two quarters.
Dallas had a narrow lead with less than eight minutes to play, but the Lakers held the Mavs without a field goal for nearly four minutes while making a 13-1 run that included big baskets from Reaves and Ayton.
Reaves and Doncic both received “M-V-P!” chants from fans during separate trips to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers face James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and their cross-town rival, the LA Clippers, in this Tuesday night NBA matchup at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers come into this game riding a hot streak. They’ve won their last four games, aligning with the return of LeBron James, and their offense has been clicking, led by Luka Dončić, who’s been putting up elite scoring and assist numbers. Even though center DeAndre Ayton is out with a knee contusion, the Lakers still have the firepower and depth to control tempo and exploit the Clippers’ defensive issues. Their transition game and ball movement could make this a comfortable night for the Purple & Gold if they can jump on the Clippers early.
On the Clippers’ side, injuries continue to limit their upside. Bradley Beal is done for the season, and they could also be without Derrick Jones Jr. and Bogdan Bogdanović in this one. That puts more pressure on James Harden to continue to carry the offense, but luckily, he should have Kawhi Leonard by his side. Leonard has been dealing with an ankle injury, but is expected to be good to go. If the Clippers hope to pull off an upset, they’ll need contributions from their role players and a stronger defensive showing than we’ve seen lately.
This is a great NBA matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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Los Angeles is coming off one of their most lopsided losses of the season, a 121-92 defeat at the hands of the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers found themselves down 12 points after the first quarter and 32 at the half, with the entire team struggling, shooting just 34.2% from the field in the first half. Los Angeles would get some consolation, winning the second half by three points. Luka Doncic led the team in scoring with 19, but shot just 7-for-20 and was a minus-31 on the court.
The season couldn’t have started more poorly for the Pelicans, who rank near the bottom of the NBA in points per game (108.8, 28th) and points allowed (121.6, 25th). The Pelicans are missing three of their best players due to injury (Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray) and have had to rely upon others to pick up the scoring slack. A major bright spot has been Derik Queen, who scored 26 points with seven rebounds and four assists in the Pelicans’ last game.
This is a great NBA Basketball matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.
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DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, an admission nine months later that the widely criticized trade of Luka Doncic backfired on the franchise.
The move came a day after Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont attended a 116-114 loss to the Bucks in which fans again chanted “fire Nico,” a familiar refrain since the blockbuster deal in February that brought Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers and angered the Dallas fan base.
The Mavericks appointed Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi as co-interim general managers to oversee basketball operations.
Dumont’s hope for goodwill with the fans never came even after Dallas landed No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg with just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery.
There have been plenty of empty seats in the upper deck of American Airlines Center this season, something not seen consistently since 2018, when the Mavericks traded up to get Doncic with the third overall pick.
Doncic was a 25-year-old generational point guard in his prime when Harrison unloaded him for the oft-injured Davis, who has missed 30 of 44 regular-season games since his arrival in February.
Harrison was in his fourth season and had engineered three trades that helped the Mavs go on a run to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and the NBA Finals two years later.
The Doncic trade and a slow start to the first full season without the young superstar led to a stunning downfall for Harrison, who declined to comment to The Associated Press. Dallas is 3-8, and Davis has missed six of the 11 games with a calf injury.
“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Dumont wrote in a letter to fans. “You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act.”
While Dumont didn’t directly mention the Doncic trade in the letter, he acknowledged the vitriolic reaction of fans, who protested after the shocking deal. The Las Vegas-based Dumont and Adelson families, who bought the Mavericks from Mark Cuban in late 2023, were targets of the criticism as well.
“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had,” Dumont wrote. “Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks.”
Dumont approved Harrison’s decision to trade Doncic, which kept the Mavericks from having to commit to a $346 million, five-year supermax extension for the Slovenian star.
Harrison tried to defend the deal by repeating a “defense wins championships” line. But with Davis sidelined by a calf injury and star guard Kyrie Irving still out after tearing the ACL in his left knee last March, defense hasn’t mattered much because Dallas has one of the worst offenses in the NBA.
With Davis and Irving playing together for just part of one game last season, the Mavericks missed the playoffs a year after Doncic led them to the NBA Finals.
The slow, injury-plagued start to this season for the Mavericks coincided with Doncic joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only NBA players to open a season with three consecutive games of at least 40 points.
Doncic’s historic run was interrupted by a three-game injury absence, but the Lakers won twice without him and are 8-3.
Harrison had spent 20 years with Nike and had close relationships with several NBA stars, including the late Kobe Bryant, when Cuban hired him in 2021.
The hiring of Harrison was the first step in trying to restore stability after former general manager Donnie Nelson was fired, then Rick Carlisle resigned as coach a day later. Nelson and Carlisle had been together for 13 years.
Harrison hired Jason Kidd as coach, and the Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals their first season together after Harrison’s first blockbuster trade.
He broke up the European pairing of Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis and got Spencer Dinwiddie, who played a key supporting role with Doncic as the Mavericks stunned Phoenix with a Game 7 blowout in the second round before losing to Golden State in five games.
A year later, Dinwiddie was part of the next blockbuster trade, which brought Irving from Brooklyn. The Mavericks faltered the rest of that season largely because of injuries, but they reached their first NBA Finals in 13 years in 2023-24, led by the pair of star guards. Dallas lost to Boston in five games.
That deep playoff run came in the first six months after Cuban sold the team. He said then that he would maintain control of basketball operations, but that didn’t happen.
Dumont quickly put full control of the basketball side in the hands of Harrison, who saw Davis as a championship-caliber player in the mold of Bryant. Davis won a title with LeBron James and the Lakers in 2020.
Cuban criticized the trade of Doncic, saying he never would have approved it and adding that he didn’t think Dallas got enough in return. Months later, though, Cuban credited Harrison for his salary cap management.
Finley, who was Harrison’s top assistant and has been in the Dallas front office for a decade, was a two-time All-Star for the Mavericks in the early 2000s when Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki was coming of age.
Finley had moved on to San Antonio when Nowitzki led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals in 2006. Dallas lost to Miami that year but beat the Heat five years later for the franchise’s only championship.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Lakers were well aware of the challenge that stood in front of them with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
The defending NBA champions, who had the league’s best defense last season, have expanded the gap between themselves and the rest of the NBA on that end of the court despite All-NBA/All-Defense wing Jalen Williams being sidelined to start the season and All-Defense forward Lu Dort missing six of the past seven games.
The Lakers knew they had to be decisive against a Thunder team that doesn’t concede many advantages. Wait too long, and those openings are no longer available. Wait even longer, and the Thunder, the league’s second-best team at forcing turnovers, would weaponize the Lakers’ indecision or stagnation with transition scoring.
And that’s even before mentioning Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning league MVP.
Even with knowing the challenges the Thunder present, the Lakers didn’t have answers for any of them, dropping Wednesday’s road game, 121-92, at Paycom Center.
The league-best Thunder (12-1) dominated the Lakers (8-4) from the outset.
The Lakers were led by Luka Doncic’s 19 points, seven rebounds and seven rebounds, but he shot 7 for 20 from the field (1 for 7 from 3-point range) and committed four of the team’s 20 turnovers.
The Thunder scored 26 points off of the Lakers’ giveaways.
Austin Reaves (13 points, five rebounds, three assists) also struggled with his ball security, recording five giveaways against Oklahoma City’s swarming ball pressure and physicality.
After the Lakers grabbed an early 7-2 lead following a 3-pointer from Rui Hachimura (13 points, five rebounds), the Thunder took control of the game and never let go.
Oklahoma City outscored the Lakers 28-11 in the final 9½ minutes of the opening quarter, taking a 30-18 lead into the second. The Lakers had nearly as many turnovers (six) as made shots (eight) in the first.
The Lakers missed their first nine shots in the opening 8-plus minutes of the second quarter, and also turned the ball over four times in that span, before Marcus Smart (nine points on 1-of-5 shooting) ended the shooting drought with a pull-up 3-pointer as the shot clock was expiring, which cut the Lakers’ deficit to 56-29.
The Lakers trailed 70-38 at halftime, the fourth-largest midgame deficit in franchise history according to Stathead.
And the Thunder didn’t ease up, leading by as many as 37 points in the third quarter (91-54) and by at least 25 for the entire second half.
Lakers coach JJ Redick took his main rotation players out at the 8:18 mark of the fourth, with his team trailing 108-73.
Dalton Knecht had 16 points off the bench, with all of his scoring coming in the second half when the game was essentially already decided.
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting, picking apart the Lakers’ defense seemingly at will, to go with nine assists and five rebounds.
Six Thunder players scored in double figures, including Isaiah Joe (21 points off the bench) and Ajay Mitchell (14 points).
The Lakers, who are 1-2 so far on their five-game trip, will play the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday in a back-to-back set before heading home to Los Angeles.
(CNN) — The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday, dismissing the man who traded away fan-favorite Luka Dončić in one of the most shocking NBA trades in recent memory.
Mavs fans essentially rebelled against Harrison in the months after the early February trade, chanting, “Fire Nico!” at every opportunity. Harrison became something akin to Public Enemy No. 1 in Dallas, even after lucking into the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and drafting Duke star Cooper Flagg.
In a letter to fans, owner Patrick Dumont said the current state of the organization is not in line with the expectations fans have set for the Mavs.
“No one associated with the Mavericks organization is happy with the start of what we all believed would be a promising season,” Dumont wrote. “You have high expectations for the Mavericks, and I share them with you. When the results don’t meet expectations, it’s my responsibility to act. I’ve made the decision to part ways with General Manager Nico Harrison.”
He added, “I know our players are deeply committed to a winning culture, this decision was critical to moving our franchise forward in a positive direction.”
The organization announced Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi will serve as co-interim general managers while a permanent replacement is sought.
The Dončić trade ended up ushering in one of the bleakest stretches for any NBA team in recent memory. On February 1, the Mavericks sent Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round draft pick.
In the period after the deal, the Mavericks went 14-21, lost Anthony Davis – the main player Dallas received in return for Dončić – for weeks due to injury in his first game with the team, lost talisman Kyrie Irving to a season-ending ACL injury and watched a slew of other players go down hurt. Davis returned as the Mavs tried to win a spot in the NBA playoffs through the play-in round but ultimately fell short.
During that entire time, the fans demanded Harrison be fired and pundits declared that the Mavericks had just made a potentially franchise killing move. Dončić is just 26 years old, led the team to the NBA Finals in the 2023-24 season, had been named All-NBA each year he had been in the league and was entering his prime. All reporting around the deal indicated that Dončić never planned to leave Dallas, and his emotional return to Texas in April indicated that the pain of the surprise move still pained him.
The 26-year-old told ESPN that he threw and cracked his phone when he first heard about the trade, adding that he felt “sadness mostly” and that he “felt like my heart was broken, honestly.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts while watching a tribute video before first game in Dallas after the trade. Credit: Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images / Reuters via CNN Newsource
“I did know that Luka was important to the fanbase,” Harrison told reporters during his season-ending news conference. “I didn’t quite know to what level.”
At the time, Harrison remained staunch in his belief that Dallas has the makings of a winning team despite the trade and fan backlash.
“We feel that’s a championship-caliber team and we would have been winning at a high level and that would have quieted some of the outrage,” Harrison said, adding that being healthy is the only thing keeping the team from challenging for a title. “And so unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, so it just continued to go on and on.”
But how the franchise handled the Dončić trade and its immediate aftermath sealed Harrison’s fate in the minds of many Mavs fans.
Dallas Mavericks fans hold up a sign referring to Mavs general manager Nico Harrison during the game against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center on February 10. Credit: Tim Heitman / Getty Images via CNN Newsource
One of the things that particularly irked fans was a report after the trade that slammed Dončić’s conditioning, with ESPN citing sources inside the franchise revealing frustration with his diet. The treatment of a player who was widely revered as an icon in Dallas, especially less than a year after an NBA Finals appearance, went over like a ton of bricks.
“Everyone wants to point at Luka’s flaws, at least for a half-second,” Mavs fan Matthew Slovak told CNN. “The overwhelming narrative is that this is the most ridiculous thing ever, but there was that, ‘Yeah, but.’ There is no ‘yeah, but.’ – this is the most indefensible trade of all time.”
In his letter, Dumont emphasized that he understood the frustrations of the fans.
“I understand the profound impact these difficult last several months have had. Please know that I’m fully committed to the success of the Mavericks,” he wrote.
“Thank you for your support, thank you for holding us accountable, and thank you for your passion and for your patience. You deserve transparency and a team that reflects your spirit. Our goal is to return winning basketball to Dallas and win championships. Our family is committed to that mission and to continuing to invest in Dallas and the Mavericks’ future.”
CNN’s Ben Morse and Andy Scholes contributed to this report.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama reach for a rebound during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers star Luka Doncic looks to pass the ball as San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie defends during the first half on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic finished with 35 points, nine rebounds, 13 assists and five steals and survived a poor shooting night (9 for 27 from the field) as the Lakers rallied for their fifth win in a row, 118-116. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, left, goes up for a dunk as Lakers guard Bronny James defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama goes up for a dunk as Lakers guard Bronny James defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, left, has his shot blocked by Lakers star Luka Doncic during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers star Luka Doncic, center, shoots as San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers center Deandre Ayton dunks as San Antonio Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk watches during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, left, and Lakers center Jaxson Hayes reach for a rebound during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers star Luka Doncic, left, shoots as San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, left, and forward Jeremy Sochan defend during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia, left, blocks the shot of San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle while guard Luka Doncic defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Members of the World Series champion Dodgers stand at center court with the Commissioner’s Trophy during the first half of a game between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers guard Gabe Vincent, left, shoots as San Antonio Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk defends during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio watches from a courtside seat during the first half of the Lakers’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers star Luka Doncic drives to the basket as the San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, and San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson go after a rebound during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura celebrates after San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie missed a free throw with the Lakers up by two points and less than one second left during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, right, celebrates with head coach JJ Redick after scoring during the second half of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, second from left, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, top, and Lakers forward Dalton Knecht wait for a rebound during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers star Luka Doncic blocks the sot of the San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, left, backs into Lakers guard Bronny James during their game on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The San Antonio Spurs’ Stephon Castle, left, knocks the ball away from Lakers center Deandre Ayton during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, dunks as San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, left, celebrates after his dunk in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama looks to shoot in front of Lakers forwards Jarred Vanderbilt, right, and Jake LaRavia during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs forward Julian Champagnie, left, shoots as Lakers center Deandre Ayton blocks his shot during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Injured Lakers star LeBron James, left, and center Jaxson Hayes gesture from the bench during the second half of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Injured Lakers star LeBron James gestures from the bench during the second half of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers star Luka Doncic shoots over the San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson (3), Stephon Castle (5) and Kelly Olynyk (8) during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, left, dunks as Lakers forward Jake LaRavia defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, and San Antonio Spurs forward Lindy Waters III go after a loose ball during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, left, steals the ball from Lakers guard Marcus Smart during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia, right, shoots as San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia, left, shoots as San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Injured Lakers star LeBron James, left, and Bronny James, center, celebrate a San Antonio Spurs turnover during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, center, reacts as he attempts to beat a double-team from Lakers guards Marcus Smart, left, and Luka Doncic during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers star Luka Doncic shoots as the San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan defends during the second half on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic finished with 35 points, nine rebounds, 13 assists and five steals and survived a poor shooting night (9 for 27 from the field) as the Lakers rallied for their fifth win in a row, 118-116. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts in front of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during the second half of their game on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, right, shoots as Lakers forward Rui Hachimura defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers head coach JJ Redick talks to star Luka Doncic during the second half of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia, center, shoots as San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes, left, and forward Jeremy Sochan defend during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers forward Jake LaRavia, right, reacts as he is fouled by the San Antonio Spurs’ Harrison Barnes (40) as he attempts a layup during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, right, drives to the basket past Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, left, shoots as San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell defends during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers center Deandre Ayton shoots between the San Antonio Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan, left, and Harrison Barnes during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers star Luka Doncic takes a shot in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Julian Champagnie (30) and Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts after a Laker foul during the second half of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers guard Marcus Smart pleads his case to referee Nick Buchert during the second half of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson (3) misses as he tries for a rebound or tip-in during the final second of their loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Members of the San Antonio Spurs watch from the bench during the final second of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts behind the San Antonio Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, right, during the second half of their game on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts during during the second half of their game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
From left, Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell holds up the World Series championship trophy as, from left, outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, owner Mark Walter, minority owner Magic Johnson, pitcher Tyler Glasnow, catcher Will Smith, shortstop Mookie Betts, back, utility player Alex Call and relief pitcher Evan Phillips look on at center court during a break in the game between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
From left, Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, owner Mark Walters, minority owner Magic Johnson, pitcher Tyler Glasnow, catcher Will Smith, pitcher Blake Snell, shortstop Mookie Betts, utility player Alex Call and relief pitcher Evan Phillips pose for a picture with the World Series championship trophy at center court during a break in the game between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama reach for a rebound during the first half on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
LOS ANGELES — All but one of the questions that Lakers personnel, including Coach JJ Redick and starting center Deandre Ayton, were asked ahead of Wednesday night’s game revolved around San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
And understandably so, with the 7-foot-4 (likely taller) French big man, as Redick put it, being one of the league’s unique players in the sense that he bends opponents’ principles – offensively and defensively.
But the Lakers had an admirable performance when it came to containing Wembanyama, got another high-scoring near-triple-double from Luka Doncic (35 points), then survived a late gaffe to rally past the Spurs, 118-116, in a foul-plagued game at Crypto.com Arena.
“Our group is so connected right now, we were able to get back together and there was no quitting,” Redick said. “There was no splintering. It’s a connected group.”
Doncic, who was back in the lineup after sitting out of Monday’s win in Portland, added 13 assists, nine rebounds, five steals and a pair of blocked shots to his scoring total.
Despite his subpar shooting efficiency (9 for 27 from the field), he made the plays they needed to secure their fifth straight win, putting them at 7-2 overall ahead of their five-game road trip.
“For him and for the group, the word of the day is like resiliency,” Redick said. “He showed that in the second half. Playing through some foul trouble, playing through what quite honestly was a frustrating, abnormal offensive night for him. And he stayed with it.
“Without Austin [Reaves], without LeBron [James], his teammates are looking to him to kind of keep that resolve and keep that positive disposition, and he was able to do that throughout the game. That’s an area of growth and I thought he was great at that.”
The Lakers finished the game on a 21-10 run, but the Spurs got one last chance when Marcus Smart committed an inbound violation after Kelly Olynyk’s putback layup with 1.2 seconds left.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Smart said. “When I released the ball, they said I stepped over it. I’m like, ‘we see the play all the time when a guy gets the ball out quick and his leg is like this [raises leg] and he is still inbounds and he throws the ball in and there is no call.
“But as a 12-year vet, I can’t make that mistake. Can’t even put the call and the ball in [their] hands to have that call called against us. I take full ownership of it. My teammates understand. They are going to joke with me. They are going to let me hear about it. But it will never happen again.”
Justin Champagnie then drew a foul from Jake LaRavia before time expired while trying to tip in the Spurs’ inbound pass, but Champagnie missed his first free throw, and none of the Spurs could tip in the second miss at the buzzer.
“We stayed together,” Ayton said. “And that’s the main thing, being in tough games and games not going your way, especially when you’re at home.”
The Lakers trailed for much of the second half, but Doncic made a step-back 3-pointer to give them a 113-112 lead with 2:31 left as part of a fourth quarter that saw the Lakers outscore the Spurs 30-20.
The 26-year-old Slovenian star wasn’t credited with an assist on the play, but he passed the ball to Ayton (22 points, 10 rebounds) before the center drew a shooting foul, making both free throws, to increase the Lakers’ lead to 115-112 with 1:27 remaining.
The Lakers then survived the late lapse by Smart (17 points, five assists, five rebounds) in a wild finish.
Rui Hachimura scored 15 points, including a 3-pointer that cut the Lakers’ deficit to 106-104 after they trailed by eight entering the fourth.
“It’s remarkable, he can go eight minutes of a game [and] not touch a basketball, literally not touch a ball,” Redick said. “And then just bang a wide-open 3. And he made that 3, which was huge.”
Hachimura also drew the charge against Wembanyama that fouled the big man out with 1:39 left, and the Lakers leading 113-112.
“The charge on Wemby, I looked it up, his eighth charge of his entire career,” Redick said. “That, at least in my opinion, was the biggest one yet. Two big plays from Rui.”
Wembanyama finished with 19 points on 4-of-11 shooting to go with eight rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot before fouling out. Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan added 16 points apiece.
Doncic made a handful of stellar plays as the Lakers rallied in the tightly officiated game between two undermanned teams. Harrison Barnes and Sochan also fouled out in the fourth quarter in a game that featured 66 fouls, 84 free-throw attempts and took nearly 3 hours to complete (2:54).
“It was a hard game, I think, for both teams to get into a rhythm,” Redick said. “It’s not a critique of the officials. I actually thought they were consistent, which is all you can really ask for. Both teams have gotten used to playing a certain way in terms of physicality. And the game was just officiated differently. And that’s not to say it was officiated poorly or was officiated great. It was just officiated differently.”
The Lakers trailed 106-97 with just over seven minutes to play, but they held the Spurs without a field goal for nearly 4½ minutes as they cut into the margin.
Jared Dudley’s second career had already started before his first one was over. He just needed time to realize it.
Winning a championship with LeBron James helped him get there. By then, Dudley had been bouncing around the NBA for more than a dozen years. The LeBron- and Anthony Davis-led Lakers were his seventh team. “When you can sit in a room and watch film with LeBron, AD and (Rajon) Rondo and call them out,” he says, “it’s something that very few coaches have the guts to be able to do, the credibility.”
Dudley felt perfectly comfortable doing that. Enough to begin to recognize a knack for leadership that could serve him beyond his playing years, which were numbered anyway. “It’s like I’d been coaching my last four or five years in the NBA,” he realized.
In 2021, he was planning to prolong his time on the Lakers’ roster as a veteran bench presence — he and James had developed a close friendship — but a new opportunity beckoned. Former Lakers assistant Jason Kidd took over as head coach of the Mavericks, and he had a staff opening ready for Dudley.
The beloved longtime role player took the leap directly into coaching. Four years later, he’s ascending the ranks. Nuggets coach David Adelman kicked off his regime this summer by hiring Dudley to oversee Denver’s defense, which ranked 21st in the league last season.
“Word of mouth,” Adelman said. “A lot of people told me great things about him, and in this league, sometimes it’s not who you know; it’s what you hear from other people you respect and trust.”
A coaching lifer, Adelman wanted to make sure he built a staff that included former players to introduce a healthy range of perspectives. In the 40-year-old Dudley, he landed someone who brought not just schematic creativity, which has already been on display early this season, but a candid demeanor and clear understanding of NBA locker room dynamics.
“Just because you were a player doesn’t mean you can relate,” Dudley told The Denver Post in an interview this week. “It takes all those different experiences on my journey as a player to be able to know how to talk to them, when to talk to them, when to come at Jamal (Murray), when to come at (Nikola) Jokic, when to call other players out.
“… That’s what I’m trying to do (for) a team that struggled on defense but has a historically good offense. Make this team above-average defensively to give us a chance to win a championship.”
Dudley didn’t always have the “guts” to speak up as audaciously as he did late in his playing career. But that’s how it should be, he thinks. Confidence and privilege come with age in a league where status matters. When Dudley was young, observing and adapting meant survival.
“My mom always taught me a good player is one that listens. So I never had a problem,” he said. “Steve Nash told me one time, ‘When I pass you the ball, I’m passing you the ball with an advantage. So if you don’t have an advantage, pass me the ball back.’ When he says that, OK, I remember that. I believe in a hierarchy where there’s different levels, and superstars get different treatment and can say different things. I believe in that.”
Few people in the league today have worked alongside as many superstars as Dudley. He was traded to Phoenix in 2008 as a second-year bench player, teaming up with Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal. He played with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin on the Lob City Clippers, then with a young Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, John Wall in Washington, Devin Booker in Phoenix, LeBron and AD in Los Angeles. He coached Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson and Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
He tried to absorb something from each experience. Nash’s instructions on what to do with the ball as a role player were a north star. Dudley also partially attributes the length of his career (14 years) to lessons learned from Nash about taking care of his body — “all the stuff he did pre and postgame: IVs, acupuncture, working on your core.” O’Neal taught him in those early years how to balance seriousness and light-heartedness.
Jared Dudley (3) and Steve Nash (13) of the Phoenix Suns during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2010 NBA Playoffs against the San Antonio Spurs at US Airways Center on May 5, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Dudley built a reputation with his IQ despite his awkward body type. He played a bit of power forward at Boston College, was drafted as a small forward, then he transformed himself into a starting two-guard with the Suns. He monitored league trends, such as the emergence of Draymond Green and downsized lineups. In Milwaukee, he asked to play the four after Jabari Parker tore an ACL. “I saw the defenses weren’t evolving fast enough for the small-ball four,” Dudley recalled. “I got ahead of it. … You have to evolve — 90% of the league is role players.”
That’s the ethos he’s trying to bring to the Nuggets, a team with a similarly heady identity. Aaron Gordon, in particular, outfitted his game to complement Jokic in 2021 when he was traded to Denver — a reinvention that echoes how Dudley changed his game to function with an all-time great passer in Phoenix.
When Dudley traveled to Denver for his interview in July, he arrived with a film project, exploring zone options and how the staff could limit Jokic’s defensive workload this season. “Even though it might be word-of-mouth,” he said, “you’ve still gotta impress.” He and Adelman had dinner together for more than four hours, talking scheme for about 35% of it (in Dudley’s estimation) and life for the other 65%. Adelman didn’t need much time to deliberate.
Dudley’s family is staying in Dallas this school year, with plans to join him in Denver before his second season. He’s been keeping up with his daughter’s high school volleyball games via live stream on Tuesday and Thursday nights when the Nuggets don’t play. Most of his time right now is spent working, though. “Next year it’ll be a little bit of a smoother and easier transition,” he said. “This gives me a little bit more time to focus, lock in and do the job that needs to be done.”
His defining principle as a defensive coordinator is directly related to his point of view on NBA superstardom: “Coming up with a defense that protects Jokic.”
In the Nuggets’ old system, the MVP center almost always played an aggressive position higher up the floor. Dudley doesn’t want him burning so much energy defensively. He would rather Denver’s guards and wings have more difficult and taxing responsibilities at that end, so Jokic’s battery can be maximized on offense.
“I can’t teach (him) anything offensively. You’re already this. You’ve got that,” Dudley said. “But defensively, I can teach you. I’ve played with different centers. I’ve played with Boban (Marjanovic), who’s bigger than you and slower than you. … I only want him to think about going back to the rim, Point A to Point B. I don’t want him having him to go guard these guards on the wings, in rotations.”
That means more zone, more man-to-man disguised as zone, more drop coverage against pick-and-rolls, more cross-matching. “There’s nothing that I won’t try,” Dudley said. Still, he is trying to hold Jokic to a certain standard. He’s been sending the big man YouTube clips representing areas of potential improvement, mostly involving Jokic’s communication.
“I need him to be louder on the court,” Dudley said. “Kind of like Kevin Garnett, so it makes bad on-ball defenders a little bit better and more confident. … He’s by far the most humble and respectful superstar that I’ve had, in that when I text him, he texts right back.”
Jokic has been game for the fresh ideas, and he seemingly appreciates Dudley’s willingness to hold him accountable.
That takes guts.
“I think when he’s speaking,” Jokic said, “everybody listens. It’s a good addition to our team.”
LOS ANGELES — During a 12½-minute pregame media availability that touched on a wide variety of subjects ahead of his team’s regular-season opener against the Golden State Warriors, one word Coach JJ Redick uttered stood out among the rest: discipline.
Redick mentioned discipline in response to a question about the Warriors’ offensive system, saying defenses need to play within the rules they establish, especially against Golden State’s signature post-split actions that create overreactions, leading to easy scoring opportunities.
But Redick’s mention of discipline could have applied to several areas of Tuesday night’s game for the Lakers – because their lack of it played a significant part in them dropping the opener, 119-109, despite Luka Doncic (43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists) turning in a stellar offensive performance.
Despite saying he felt his team’s discipline was “pretty good” postgame, Redick pointed to the areas the Lakers weren’t dialed in like they needed to be.
“It’s like the times…you make your own thing up,” Redick said. “Steph Curry gets a back cut for a layup. Gary Payton [II] slips and gets a dunk. We don’t [switch] a small-small pick and roll, and Jimmy [Butler] turns the corner, they get a layup.
“There’s gonna be growing pains with that early in the season and hopefully it’s not long.”
The Lakers’ lack of ball security (20 turnovers – 15 in the first half) hurt them and helped create easier opportunities for the Warriors, who scored 22 points off the giveaways. They didn’t stay attached enough to one of Golden State’s best shooters, and Buddy Hield (17 points) found his rhythm behind the arc as a difference-maker off the bench.
The Lakers’ defense was stretched thin by the Warriors’ speed and quickness during the third quarter, which Golden State opened with a 19-4 run on its way to a 35-25 advantage in the period. The Lakers’ struggles coming out of halftime date to last season, and it ultimately undid them.
“We’ve just been bad at third quarters the last couple of years, for sure,” Austin Reaves said. “Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve had a problem with third quarters. So just got to figure out a way to come out with a little more energy. It was the first thing JJ talked about afterwards, just figuring out a way to be better in the third quarter.
“That’s on us players, that’s not on the coaches. They come and give us what we need, give us the answers to the test. And we just didn’t find an execute, so that’s on us. We have to be better.”
A late 13-3 run helped make the game competitive, with the Lakers trimming their deficit to six (105-99) after a layup from Reaves (26 points, nine assists and five rebounds) with 3:59 left. Reaves scored half of his points in the fourth.
But that was the closest the Lakers got after being down by as many as 17 earlier in the fourth, with the visitors making the Lakers pay for any opening they left open.
Curry sealed the victory with a 31-foot 3-pointer that gave the Warriors a 117-107 lead with 51 seconds left. The two-time league MVP made a pair of free throws 12 seconds later, finishing with 23 points and four assists.
Butler led the Warriors with 31 points and made all 16 of his free throw attempts to go with five rebounds and four assists.
Deandre Ayton was the lone Laker outside of Doncic and Reaves to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points (5-of-7 shooting) and six rebounds. Marcus Smart had nine points in his Lakers debut.
Jonathan Kuminga added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Warriors, who shot 17 for 40 from 3-point range and 26 for 29 from the foul line. The Lakers were 8 for 32 from long range and 17 for 28 from the free-throw line.
Lakers star LeBron James missed a season opener for the first time in his 23 years in the NBA, watching from the bench due to sciatica that is expected to sideline him until mid-November.
“It’s hard to forget about LeBron,” Redick said. “The reality is when you’re focused on the group that you have, you gotta make that group work. Sometimes you can just be like, ‘oh my God, we’re gonna get LeBron back at some point.’ Like it’s awesome, but, you are focused.”
The Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
As the Lakers walked off the Crypto.com Arena court on April 30 after a disappointing five-game loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it was clear that changes would need to be made following back-to-back seasons of first-round playoff exits.
Even with Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter buying the majority ownership of the Lakers from the Buss family over the summer in a stunning deal that is expected to close before the end of the year, the Lakers didn’t feel they needed to make changes as drastic as the ones made in recent years:
The Lakers’ modifications this past summer were milder – at least by their standards.
But arguably none were more important than the evolution Doncic experienced during the offseason.
Doncic was open about being emotionally and mentally exhausted after the Dallas Mavericks shockingly traded him to Los Angeles. He had spent the first 6 ½ seasons of his NBA career in Dallas and was the face of the franchise.
And it was evident last season that he wasn’t physically close to his best either, with Doncic, who has a history of left calf injuries, being sidelined for 1½ months because of a strained left calf.
Redick added: “And I got to bring that out. That’s part of my job. He’s in a clear headspace. His body clearly is really good. He’s motivated by winning. I know this because I talk to him about it all the time. He’s motivated by winning, and if we win at a high level, he will be in that conversation for MVP.”
The Lakers’ confidence in their ability to contend for an NBA championship stems from more than simply having what they hope will be the best version of Doncic, a five-time first-team All-NBA honoree in his first seven seasons.
“The word I would use would be share,” Redick said. “In a team sport, you have no choice but to share: share the basketball, share the spotlight, all those three guys have a ton of respect for each other’s skillsets, for each other’s abilities.”
The Lakers are optimistic that a full offseason, training camp and preseason helped further the chemistry that the star trio didn’t have time to develop last season.
“The more and more time that we’re together, the better we’re going to be,” James said. “It’s gonna be beneficial to us having that chemistry from Day One, which we will have because of how we was able to finish the season on last year.”
Even with James being sidelined the entire preseason and expected to miss the first few weeks of the regular season because of sciatica (nerve pain) on his right side, the Lakers are confident their roster is equipped to build off the 50-32 record and No. 3 seed in the Western Conference that they achieved last season despite it being Redick’s first year as a coach and the myriad of roster changes they went through.
Add in Redick’s emphasis since May about the team being in championship shape, and the Lakers are confident they can compete with the league’s best teams.
“Honestly, I think we have a great team,” Doncic said. “We have what we need to compete for the championship. I’ll try to win every game no matter what, and we got some new great guys on the team. We’re going to go for it.”
Media day for the Los Angeles Lakers has always been part introduction, part performance, and part crystal ball. Cameras flash, microphones swarm, and fans lean in to hear the first words that will shape the coming season. But on Monday, Sept. 29, inside the UCLA Health Training Facility in El Segundo, the event carried a heavier weight than years past.
This wasn’t just another season launch. This was about LeBron James’ uncertain farewell, Luka Dončić’s transformation into the Lakers’ newest superstar, and a supporting cast eager to prove they belong on basketball’s brightest stage. Out of the many soundbites and storylines, five takeaways stood above the rest.
1. LeBron James Confronts the Twilight of His Career
At 40 years old and entering his 23rd NBA season—the longest career in league history—LeBron James still commands the spotlight. But for the first time, he openly admitted the end is near.
“I don’t know when the end is, but I know it’s a lot sooner than later,” James confessed, his words carrying the kind of pause that makes you stop and listen. He chose to pick up his $52.6 million player option this summer, ensuring one more ride with the Lakers, but beyond that? The future is a mystery.
James dismissed the notion that Luka Dončić’s arrival influences his retirement timeline. “Zero,” he said with a smirk. Yet there’s no denying that LeBron’s partnership with Luka, a passing of the torch in purple and gold, will define the story of this season.
2. Luka Dončić Arrives as the Lakers’ New Leader
If media day felt like a coronation, Luka Dončić wore the crown. Leaner, quicker, and brimming with confidence after a dominant EuroBasket run with Slovenia, he walked in looking like a man ready to redefine his NBA chapter.
“I would just say way less tired,” Luka said of his offseason transformation. “Probably a little quicker because of that.”
Head coach JJ Redick praised his star’s commitment, noting that conditioning is no longer Luka’s weakness but his weapon. A rested Dončić doesn’t just score—he defends, he leads, he sustains. In Los Angeles, Luka isn’t just the future; he’s the present.
3. Austin Reaves Bets on Himself
Media day also revealed a side of Austin Reaves that Lakers fans have come to admire: loyalty mixed with quiet confidence. The 26-year-old guard turned down a four-year, $89.2 million extension, a decision that speaks volumes.
“It’s super hard,” Reaves admitted. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be in L.A. I want to be in L.A. for my whole career.”
This is a bet on himself, a challenge to prove his worth in a contract year. Reaves has evolved from undrafted underdog to indispensable role player. Now, he’s chasing something greater—both in salary and legacy—while reinforcing his desire to remain a lifelong Laker.
4. DeAndre Ayton Embraces His Biggest Stage Yet
DeAndre Ayton has been called enigmatic, talented, inconsistent. In Los Angeles, he has the chance to change the narrative.
“This is the biggest opportunity of my career,” Ayton said. And he’s right. At 7 feet tall, with soft hands and natural touch, Ayton adds an interior presence the Lakers desperately need. His 14.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season in Portland only scratch the surface of his potential impact alongside Dončić and James.
Pick-and-rolls, rim protection, second-chance points—Ayton’s fingerprints could be all over the Lakers’ title chase if he fully embraces this role.
5. Marcus Smart Sets the Defensive Tone
When the Lakers acquired Marcus Smart, they weren’t just adding a defender. They were importing an identity.
“That’s what I came to do, that’s why Luka called me, that’s what JJ wants,” Smart explained, his voice carrying conviction. The former Defensive Player of the Year averaged nearly two steals per game last season, but his value goes beyond numbers.
Smart is the glue—the communicator, the tone-setter, the one who drags teammates into the trenches with him. Combined with Ayton’s size and Luka’s renewed stamina, Smart’s defensive edge could be the piece that turns the Lakers from talented to terrifying.
Kyrie Irving #11 of the Dallas Mavericks and Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics look on during the second quarter in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
After an exciting Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks are back to face the mighty Boston Celtics. Sunday night plans are as locked in as Kristaps Porzingis on the three-point line.
Keep reading to learn how and when to watch the Mavericks vs. Celtics in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals tonight.
How and when to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2
Game 2 of the Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics NBA Finals series will be played on Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT). The game will air on ABC and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.
How to watch Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Game 2 without cable
If your cable subscription doesn’t carry ABC or you’ve cut the cord with your cable company, you can still watch today’s game. Below are the platforms on which you can watch today’s game live.
If you don’t have cable TV that includes ABC, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream today’s game is through a subscription to Sling TV. To watch today’s game, you’ll need a subscription to the Blue tier, which includes access to your local network affiliate’s live feed (excluding CBS). To level up your coverage and get access to sports and content broadcast on ESPN and TNT, subscribe to the Orange + Blue tier plan.
The Blue tier is $45 per month. The Sling’s Orange + Blue tier costs $60 per month, but the platform currently offers 50% off the first month of any pricing tier, making the Orange + Blue tier $30 for the first month.
Note: Because Sling TV doesn’t carry CBS, you won’t be able to watch CBS-aired programming like next year’s NFL games on CBS. To watch these games, plus PGA golf, UEFA Champions League and more live sports, we recommend you also subscribe to Paramount+ with Showtime. Paramount+ with Showtime costs $12 per month after a one-week free trial.
Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue tier:
Sling TV is also our top choice to stream the NHL Finals.
There are 46 channels to watch in total, including ABC, NBC and Fox (where available).
You get access to NBA games airing on TNT.
All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
You can also catch today’s game on Fubo. Fubo is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to ABC and ESPN, in addition to almost every NFL game next season.
To watch the NBA Finals without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NBA basketball, you’ll have access to NFL football, MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. Fubo’s Pro Tier is priced at $80 per month after your free seven-day trial.
Sports fans will want to consider adding on the $7.99 per month Fubo Extra package, which includes MLB Network, NBA TV, NHL Network, Tennis Channel, SEC Network and more channels with live games. Or upgrade to the Fubo Elite tier and get all the Fubo Extra channels, plus the ability to stream in 4K, starting at $90 per month ($70 for the first month).
Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:
There are no contracts with Fubo, you can cancel anytime.
The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Fubo includes most channels you’ll need to watch live sports, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.
You can watch today’s game with the Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle. The bundle features 95 channels, including ABC, TNT, local network affiliates and ESPN. It also includes the ESPN+ streaming service. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch today’s game, the 2024 NBA playoffs, MLB this season and network-aired NFL games next season with Hulu + Live TV/ESPN+ bundle.
Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+. It’s priced at $77 per month after a three-day free trial.
Watch today’s game live with a digital HDTV antenna
Amazon
You can also watch today’s game on TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.
For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch NBA basketball without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.
This amplified digital antenna with a 50-mile range can receive hundreds of HDTV channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox and Univision and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound.
The best place to get NBA Finals fan gear: Fanatics
Rooting from home is more fun while repping your team with the latest NBA fan gear. Fanatics is our first stop for the newest NBA fan gear, our go-to for the latest drop of NBA Finals merch like jerseys, commemorative T-shirts, hats and more. Fanatics also has just-released NFL Draft jerseys, like No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams‘ new Chicago Bears jersey. Fanatics is offering free shipping on orders over $24 through June 8, 2024 (exclusions apply, use code FS24).
2024 NBA Playoffs: Full playoff schedule and results
Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game One of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 06, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
2024 NBA Finals schedule
The 2024 NBA Finals is a best-of-seven series beginning on June 6, 2024 airing on ABC. All times Eastern.
In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene a day before the NBA Finals with plenty to talk about. Among the topics discussed:
The NBA Finals are here, with the Dallas Mavericks set to face the Boston Celtics. Is Luka Doncic the truth? Could he take the World’s Best Basketball Player title from Nikola Jokic if he beats the Celtics in the Finals?
The fellas hold a quick and informal draft of the top players in the NBA Finals. How many of the top eight players are Celtics? And who ultimately wins the series?
Looking ahead to free agency: Who is likely and who is completely unlikely to join the Nuggets this summer? Does Denver have any chance of bringing an impact player into the fold without trading one of its marquee starters?
Is Jayson Tatum a top-five player? Is Joel Embiid still in the conversation?
Thanks to Thursday night’s impressive blowout win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis, the Dallas Mavericks are headed to the NBA Finals. That’s where the Luka Doncic-led squad will face off against the Boston Celtics…
MINNEAPOLIS — Luka Doncic had a 20-point first quarter on his way to 36 points for his high this postseason, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 on Thursday night to breeze through the Western Conference finals in five games.
Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for the Mavericks, who built a 29-point halftime lead on 61% shooting to deflate the once-energized crowd before most fans got up for their first snack break. The Mavs went up by as much as 36 in the third quarter, all the while keeping the Timberwolves offense all out of whack.
The Mavs, who had the fifth seed in the West, have a full week to rest before the NBA Finals begin in Boston on June 6 for the franchise’s first appearance since winning the championship in 2011. The Celtics will have had 10 days between games after sweeping Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals.
Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the third quarter in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals at Target Center on May 30, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
David Berding / Getty Images
Anthony Edwards scored 28 points and Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 12 rebounds for the third-seeded Wolves, who met their match with the defense-smashing duo of Doncic and Irving after stifling Phoenix in a first-round sweep and then dethroning defending champion Denver in a seven-game series.
Irving improved to 15-1 in his career in closeout games in the playoffs.
Doncic set a defiant tone by starting 4 for 4, hitting rainbows from 28 and 31 feet as he turned to talk trash to the courtside fans with each swish, often with a sly smile. He drained a 32-footer later in a first quarter as the Mavs closed on a 17-1 spurt, a run they pushed to 28-5 over a nine-minute stretch.
It was Doncic’s second 20-point quarter in his postseason career, following a 21-point fourth quarter in the Western Conference finals loss to Golden State in 2022.
Doncic, who shot 14 for 22 and grabbed 10 rebounds, and his savvy sidekick Irving, who has a championship ring from 2016 with Cleveland, were the superior stars in this series as this Wolves team found its first taste of a sustained postseason run to be a bitter — but perhaps ultimately beneficial — one.
Though he familiarly and persistently waved his arms at the officials almost every time a whistle didn’t go his way, the 25-year-old Doncic played with an unshakeable confidence and unflappable joy from start to finish. As he was taunted by the fans with a “Flopper!” chant when he shot free throws in the third quarter, Doncic smiled and mockingly mouthed the words along with them.
Edwards, though he hit the 25-point mark for the 15th time in 27 career playoff games, had trouble finding his rhythm amid all the double-teams. The Wolves, for all their progress this season, were reminded they don’t yet have a championship offense despite his dynamic skills and clutch mentality.
They had several wince-inducing possessions in the decisive first half, with the coaches struggling to find a group that could play in sync together.
As the final seconds of the second quarter ticked away, Edwards drove to the lane and kicked the ball to the corner to Kyle Anderson, who swung it back to Towns on the wing and failed to find a look he liked. He passed back to Anderson, who tried to move closer and had the shot clock expire on him.
P.J. Washington, who had 12 points, flexed his arms in celebration of yet another stifling defensive sequence by the Mavs.
The Mavs got 7-foot-1 rookie Dereck Lively II back from the sprained neck that kept him out of the previous game, restoring the complete rim protection duo with Daniel Gafford that helped them disrupt Rudy Gobert in the post and just about everyone else who tried to attack the basket.
Gafford had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Lively added nine points and eight rebounds.
It’s safe to assume that Dallas Mavericks fans were pleased with the team’s nine-point victory over the Oklahoma Thunder on Thursday night. But maybe not as pleased as whoever awkwardly interrupted Luka Doncic’s post-game conference…
College basketball stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers face off in the women’s Final Four Friday night. Both Iowa’s Clark and UConn’s Bueckers are top-tier college basketball players, and their March Madness Final Four is expected to be both immensely entertaining as well as fiercely competitive.
Ask Clark and Bueckers their earliest impression of the other and you get generalities, light on details if heavy on respect. Their memories are blurry. Of AAU tournaments and Team USA practices. Of gold medals and deep 3s. Of the girl with the brown ponytail with the unlimited range who always seemed to know what was coming next and the blonde who never got rattled with the ball in her hands, by opponents or the sea of eyes constantly transfixed on her.
Maybe because those years shadowing each other on the travel circuit across the Midwest or teaming up for the occasional international competition seem so long ago. Maybe because in some ways — in the most meaningful of ways — they are.
The NCAA Tournament that Clark grew up watching in Iowa and Bueckers took in from the outskirts of Minneapolis doesn’t exist anymore. Back then, the inequalities between the men’s and women’s versions of March Madness were massive, from facilities to swag to TV ratings, even the branding.
It’s not that way anymore.
Not with Clark and Iowa selling out everywhere they go. Not with Bueckers finally healthy after spending the better part of two years recovering from knee injuries that left her fearful the generational skills that made her the first freshman to win the AP Player of the Year award would never return.
Only they have. Just in time for the two players who have helped propel interest in the women’s tournament to an all-time high to take center stage.
When Clark and the top-seeded Hawkeyes face Bueckers and third-seeded UConn on Friday night in the Final Four, they’ll do it not in some anonymous gym with nothing but parents, scouts and college coaches watching.
They will play in front of a packed arena with millions watching on television and millions more keeping track on social media, an ever-growing group that includes LeBron James and Steph Curry and Luka Doncic and aspiring ballers from all over.
It’s not that women’s basketball hasn’t had stars before. It has. Just never quite as many as this who play quite like this.
And while Iowa coach Lisa Bluder made it a point on Thursday to say she didn’t want the national semifinal to be pitted as “Caitlin vs. Paige,” everyone else involved seems to be OK with the arrangement because of what it means for not just their respective teams, but the women’s game in general.
“It’s a star-driven society that we live in,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “It’s a celebrity-driven, star-driven, influencer-driven world that’s been created.”
One in which both Clark and Bueckers are comfortable traveling, perhaps because it’s the only world they’ve ever known.
The parallels to the rivalry between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird that began when Johnson and Michigan State faced Bird and Indiana State in the 1979 NCAA championship are obvious.
“All of a sudden those two particular players came on and it just lit everything up, and it just took off from there,” Auriemma said. “So it needs some stars. It needs people that have the right personality, the right game. And we have that now.”
Thing is, Bueckers and Clark don’t view themselves as rivals. Not in a traditional sense. If anything, they believe they’re simply riding the crest of a wave that’s been building for years, long before they reached a first-name-only level of fame.
Ask Clark why interest in women’s basketball has spiked and she doesn’t point to her record-setting career or her “did she really shoot that” range or even her team’s success but simple exposure.
To Clark, the women’s game has always been great. It’s just taken a while, a long while, for the world to catch up.
“It’s the platforms that (we’re able to have now) that should have been there for a really long time,” Clark said. “We’ve had some amazing talents come through our game, over the last 10, 20 years.”
Talents that haven’t quite connected in the way that Clark and Bueckers have connected. The easing of rules surrounding name, image and likeness compensation has allowed them to market themselves and their game in ways once unimaginable.
It’s a history not lost on either of them. They understand and embrace the responsibility of being a role model, knowing they were once on the other end, looking up to the likes of college and WNBA stars Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen.
“They were everything that I wanted to be like,” Bueckers said. “And they won.”
A trait that has followed Bueckers seemingly from the first time she picked up a ball. It’s telling that when asked about Bueckers’ game, Clark didn’t talk about her impeccable court vision or precise midrange jumper but what the scoreboard says after nearly every game in which she plays.
“She’s always been dominant,” Clark said. “Every team that she’s ever been on, she’s led them to great success. It’s just what she does. She’s a winner.”
That hasn’t changed, though the dynamics around the way Clark and Bueckers are perceived have flipped over the last three years.
It was Bueckers, not Clark, who was the top recruit in the Class of 2020. It was Bueckers, not Clark, who was recruited by the Huskies, though Auriemma did point out this week “if Caitlin really wanted to come to UConn, she would have called me.” It was Bueckers, not Clark, who won that first meeting in 2021 and became the “media darling,” as Bueckers put it Friday.
Clark is in that position now. Setting the NCAA Division I scoring record and playing with a fearlessness that is equal parts thrilling and accessible will do that.
Security people had to clear a path deep inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Friday to make sure she could make it from one media opportunity to the next. When UConn and Bueckers came through an hour later, the throng was half the size.
Even for a player who says on the court she can see things before they happen, it’s been a lot. The 22-year-old Clark welcomes the attention because she understands it has brought new people to her sport. Yet she’s not here to be The Star, as much as people want to thrust that moniker on her.
Three years ago, it was Bueckers. The last two years, it’s been her. Next spring it might be Bueckers during her redshirt senior season. Bueckers is leaning toward this year’s blockbuster freshman class, a group that includes USC’s JuJu Watkins or Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo. A decade from now, it might be some young woman who didn’t pick up a ball until she watched Clark hoist it from deep and Bueckers weave through traffic in the lane.
In that way, Clark doesn’t see herself or Bueckers as the end result of something, but simply the latest links in a chain growing ever stronger with each passing season.
“It doesn’t need to be one end-all, be-all (star) just like I think there doesn’t need to be one end-all, be-all team,” Clark said. “The young talent, it’s only going to get better.”
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, left and Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams, right, hug one another following the team’s game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Monday, April 1, 2024. The Celtics defeated the Hornets 118-104.
JEFF SINER
jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
Grant Williams interrupted his typical pregame routine to make a beeline — straight for the Boston Celtics’ side of the court.
The Charlotte Hornets forward certainly had a few recognizable faces to catch up with, given this was his first outing against his old team since February’s NBA trade deadline deal brought Williams here from Dallas. Most of Williams’ time was reserved for one person in particular, though: Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
It was no different after the final buzzer sounded in the Hornets’ 118-104 loss to Boston at Spectrum Center on Monday night, when the two met near half-court, sharing a lengthy embrace following a long discussion.
Clearly, Williams couldn’t pass up the opportunity to chat it up with the Duke product, probably thanking him face-to-face for having his back and dispelling the notion he’s not a good teammate.
That chatter hit a crescendo last month following inflammatory comments by Celtics play-by-play commentator Mike Gorman, when he described Williams as a bad locker room guy with Boston and Dallas, sparking chatter about how he also caused issues with Mavericks star Luka Dončić. Tatum came to Williams’ defense then, and it’s obvious he has an affinity for the 25-year-old. The two still share a strong bond, making Monday’s outings just a tad different.
“It was good,” Tatum said. “He’s a brother for life, so it’s always good to see him, good to compete with him. Just having fun out there, competing against each other.”
Williams appreciates having someone with Tatum ‘s stature in his corner.
“Yeah, that’s always going to be my brother, man,” said Williams, who posted 23 points and seven rebounds. “He’s family. All the guys on that team. We had tremendous years together. Whether it’s Sam (Hauser) going to his wedding last summer, whether it’s Payton (Pritchard), who’s getting married here soon, J.T. J.B. (Jaylen Brown), Luke Kornet, actually one of the best guys in the league, one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. Al (Horford) being my vet.
“It’s definitely nostalgic seeing those guys and it’s also fun competing against them.”
Of course, Williams made sure to let Tatum know all about it during their individual battles. A little trash talk between the two was in the cards, when they guarded each other, injecting some spice into an otherwise mundane late-season matchup featuring a pair of teams going in the opposite direction.
“Grant always has got some – – – – to say,” Tatum said. “But as I was just saying, that’s my brother for life. It’s cool. I don’t talk trash at all, but if it’s somebody I’m close with, that I know, like today with Grant, I like to have fun out there. So, it’s always good to see him, competing against him. So, we just had some fun out there.”
Lots of it, apparently.
“Him and D-White (Derrick White) constantly called me a hack and I’m always like ya’ll are hacks and you just don’t get called for it because you are superstars,” Williams said. “ And I always tease them about that, because I think he was saying I was fouling K.P. (Kristaps Porzingis) or something like that. And I was just like, ‘Hey man, you fouled A.P. (Aleksej Pokuševski) and Brandon (Miller) on two possessions in a row, and they just didn’t call a foul on you because you are light-skinned and you think you are pretty.’ But that’s all it was.”
Getting moved to the Hornets, along with Seth Curry in exchange for PJ Washington and playing for the team he grew up rooting for has been a good thing for Williams. Entrenched in the Hornets’ reserve unit since his arrival, he’s come off the bench in all but five of the 24 games. But with Nick Richards sitting out due to right plantar fascia, adding another body to their injury-riddled roster, Williams got the starting nod at center, making the Hornets awfully small against Boston’s big front line led by Horford and Porzingis.
Versatility is just one of the things Williams has brought to the Hornets during his short tenure. He’s boosted them in other areas, too, and even his former coach picked up on it during film study preparing for Boston’s date with the Hornets.
Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams, left and Boston Celtics forward/center Al Horford, right, catch up with one another prior to the team’s game at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC on Monday, April 1, 2024. JEFF SINER jsiner@charlotteobserver.com
“I’ve seen just his playmaking,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. ”He’s really good against the switch, creates some indecision for you on whether you should switch or not switch with his ability to go fake and his screen angles.
“And then they are running some off-ball stuff to where he facilitates at the elbow for (Miles) Bridges. And I think that’s one of the biggest keys versus him, is really have communication versus the coverage so he doesn’t take advantage of it.”
Praise for Williams comes from all directions, which doesn’t fall in line with the premise that he’s supposedly bad for team chemistry. His value behind the scenes hasn’t gone unnoticed, particularly from the man roaming the Hornets’ sidelines.
“He’s great,” coach Steve Clifford said. “He’s very verbal and very upbeat. He’s a terrific competitor, which to me is the No. 1 thing you look for. So, you never have to worry about his effort. He’s always on top of the game plan. He plays a very physical, intelligent game. With us, because it’s a different role than he’s had in Boston or in Dallas, you’re getting to see he has a playmaking aspect of his game that just, again, because of what we need him to do, he gets a chance to do well.”
And provide a boost in areas of need.
“So much of defense just starts with talking, and he’s good at it,” Clifford said. “I think the biggest thing he’s brought for us is the physicality part. He’s getting a chance here to play more as a playmaker, which he’s done a good job with. It’s a good fit and it’s a good opportunity for him, too.
“It’s a little different with our team. He’s not out there with Tatum and Brown or he’s not out there with Dončić and Kyrie (Irving). So, it’s different.”
And a role Williams is eager to run with. He has three years and $40.8 million remaining on the deal he inked last summer, likely tying him with the Hornets for the immediate future. Barring something unexpected, he should be a part of the Hornets moving forward, providing him with the chance to help turn the franchise around and finally send it in the right direction.
Incorporating lessons learned in Boston could eventually greatly benefit the Hornets.
“When you are on the team, you don’t realize how good they are,” Williams said. “But when you go against them, you realize what it was like to get to that level, to be winning at that rate every single night. Because we had a decent game. It’s not like we played terrible on the offensive end.
“But we’ve got to do a better job of honing in on the defensive side of the basketball, too, and it shows we have a ways to go. But I’m excited about this team, and when we get all our guys and a full deck to play against them next year.”
Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly. Support my work with a digital subscription
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) – Kings forward Keegan Murray talks about Tuesday’s 132-96 loss to the Mavericks, the terrible second half effort from Sacramento, the performance from Luka Doncic to lead Dallas to victory and looking ahead to a rematch on Friday with a chance to win the season series.
With the loss, the Kings fall a game behind the Mavericks, who now sit in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. Both teams will meet again at Golden 1 Center on Friday night.
Luka Doncic became the first NBA player to record six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles as the Dallas Mavericks pulled away in the second half and beat the Detroit Pistons 142-124 on Saturday night.Doncic finished with 39 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, eclipsing Russell Westbrook’s mark of five straight 30-point triple-doubles. He also extended his own record with a fifth straight 35-point triple-double.Video above: LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 40,000 pointsKyrie Irving added 21 points for Dallas, which has won two in a row after a three-game losing streak.Cade Cunningham had 33 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who have lost 10 of 12. Simone Fontecchio added a career-high 27 points.The Mavericks led 69-65 at halftime, helped by 21 points from Doncic in the second quarter.Doncic had 10 more points in the third and Dallas moved out to a 144-88 lead after Michigan star Tim Hardaway Jr. hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:16 of the period — the last, a buzzer-beater.The Mavericks outscored Detroit 7-0 in the first minute of the fourth, extending their lead to 23 points.The game got scrappy down the stretch. With 9:07 left, Stanley Umude was whistled for a flagrant four for hitting Hardaway in the head. Then, with 7:03 left, Jalen Duren fouled Gafford hard as he went to the basket on what would have been Doncic’s 10th assist. P.J. Washington lightly pushed Duren away from Gafford, who was on the floor, and Duren responded with a much harder shove, bringing all 10 players into the scrum.Duren was ejected after receiving a personal foul and two technicals. Washington also received a technical.Cunningham battled Doncic fairly evenly in the first half, posting 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Dallas turned eight turnovers by the Pistons into 18 points.
DETROIT —
Luka Doncic became the first NBA player to record six consecutive 30-point triple-doubles as the Dallas Mavericks pulled away in the second half and beat the Detroit Pistons 142-124 on Saturday night.
Doncic finished with 39 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, eclipsing Russell Westbrook’s mark of five straight 30-point triple-doubles. He also extended his own record with a fifth straight 35-point triple-double.
Video above: LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 40,000 points
Kyrie Irving added 21 points for Dallas, which has won two in a row after a three-game losing streak.
Cade Cunningham had 33 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for the Pistons, who have lost 10 of 12. Simone Fontecchio added a career-high 27 points.
The Mavericks led 69-65 at halftime, helped by 21 points from Doncic in the second quarter.
Doncic had 10 more points in the third and Dallas moved out to a 144-88 lead after Michigan star Tim Hardaway Jr. hit three 3-pointers in the final 2:16 of the period — the last, a buzzer-beater.
The Mavericks outscored Detroit 7-0 in the first minute of the fourth, extending their lead to 23 points.
The game got scrappy down the stretch. With 9:07 left, Stanley Umude was whistled for a flagrant four for hitting Hardaway in the head. Then, with 7:03 left, Jalen Duren fouled Gafford hard as he went to the basket on what would have been Doncic’s 10th assist. P.J. Washington lightly pushed Duren away from Gafford, who was on the floor, and Duren responded with a much harder shove, bringing all 10 players into the scrum.
Duren was ejected after receiving a personal foul and two technicals. Washington also received a technical.
Cunningham battled Doncic fairly evenly in the first half, posting 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Dallas turned eight turnovers by the Pistons into 18 points.
