Lakers struggles continue as Mavericks pull away in second half
Reports surfacing Lakers front office serious about a shakeup
Recap of Mavericks/Lakers game played on December 23, 2024December 22nd has come and gone which means all players who signed free agent contracts this past summer are now trade eligible. For the Lakers that means that some possible moves might just be in the works as it's obvious there needs to be a change of some sort. Head Coach Terry Stotts has already been reassured by management that his job is not in jeopardy. The Lakers have been linked to several players around the league (Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, Donovan Mitchell, Zach LaVine and Brandon Ingram), but given their salary cap restrictions they will have to sit and wait for the right deal to come along. The thinking is as they did when they traded Russell Westbrook at the deadline two years ago is that one move can bring in several players that will be able to contribute and make an impact right away. If the Lakers expect to keep up with the rest of the west they will need to make that deal soon, especially after suffering another defeat, this time at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks beat the Lakers seventeen days ago in Dallas and tonight in Los Angeles, the Mavericks pulled away in the second half, defeating the Lakers 117-98. Since these two teams met in the second round of the playoffs last season Dallas has won six of eight. Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks with 32 points, four rebounds and seven assists. Irving also connected on 6-of-11 three-pointers. Tim Hardaway Jr., who was slotted Luka Doncic spot for the second half finished with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Doncic suffered what was later diagnosed as strained left achilles and did not return. Daniel Gafford played a huge role in the second half for the Mavericks, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, including going 10-of-11 from the field. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 31 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and had four blocks. LeBron James put up 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Austin Reaves rounded out the Lakers who scored in double figures with 10 points.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
20 | 29 | 40 | 28 | 117 |
 |
33 | 16 | 26 | 23 | 98 |
Player StatsKyrie Irving - 32 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal
Tim Hardaway Jr. - 27 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists
Daniel Gafford - 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks
Player StatsAnthony Davis - 31 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 blocks
LeBron James - 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals
Austin Reaves - 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Next Game: 12/25 @ Houston Rockets
