Los Angeles Lakers (33-21) beat Dallas Mavericks (19-35) 124-104 at home on Thursday, February 12. The final margin was 20 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Lakers had the better start, winning the first 36-31 to lead by 5 after one. The Mavericks cut into the deficit with a 32-28 second quarter, though the Lakers still led by 1 at halftime.
The Lakers won the third 32-19 to create some separation, taking a 14-point lead into the fourth. The Lakers took the fourth 28-22; the Lakers finished the job for a 124-104 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Lakers grabbed 29.4% of their own misses, while the Mavericks recovered 10.5%. The Lakers got more from their shots, finishing at 61.6% effective field-goal shooting compared with 53.8% for the Mavericks. The second chances kept adding up.
At roughly 99 possessions per team, the Lakers produced 125.1 points per 100 possessions to 104.9 for the Mavericks.
Who stood out
LeBron James was the game's biggest individual force for LAL: 28 pts, 10 reb, 12 ast on 10-20 shooting. His Game Score of 25.7 led everyone. His team was +6 with him on the floor.
LeBron James (28 pts, 10 reb, 12 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Lakers about a 76% chance.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Los Angeles Lakers lead 4-1.
The Lakers are now 33-21, and the Mavericks are 19-35. The Lakers last five before this game: W-W-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.