From one teammate to another, the Dallas Mavericks probably woke up this morning wondering how they ended up
on the wrong end of a 107-104 defeat in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.
It was the kind of game that had more twists and turns than seen in an Agatha Christie movie.
There were five notable three-pointers – three by the Lakers — in the waning seconds of regulation and overtime that were just pure head-scratchers. In the end, the Lakers prevailed after converting 6-of-9 shots and scoring 14 points in the overtime session after they scored just 14 points in the second quarter.
The wild ending had Mavs forward Kristaps Porzingis saying: “Oh my God, we should have gotten this win. But it is what it is.
“And even though we didn’t get the win (Wednesday), we’re headed in the right direction, and that’s the most important thing.”
Here are our five takeaways from Wednesday’s game.
SLIPPED FROM THEIR GRIP: Yep, this game sure did slip from the Mavs’ grip. The Mavs had a three-point lead late in regulation and needed to make just one defensive stop. And they did. LeBron James misfired on a three-pointer with about six seconds left and Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber simultaneously had their hands on the coveted defensive rebound. But the basketball gods somehow squeezed the ball from their grip, and it ultimately landed in the hands of former Mavs guard Wayne Ellington, who drilled a heart-stopping three-pointer with two seconds remaining that sent the game into overtime.
REAVES STOLE THE SHOW: Austin Reaves, not exactly a household name on his own team — not to mention among NBA fans — stole the show Wednesday night. Looking poise and acting like he’s been there and done this before, Reaves drained a dramatic game-winning three-pointer with just 0.9 seconds left that broke a 104 tie and gave the Lakers the victory. An unheralded undrafted rookie from Oklahoma, Reaves set the tone for the night when he came off the bench and buried a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter. He finished the night with 15 points on 5-of-6 three-pointers.
DONCIC OUT AGAIN: It’s only logical for Mavs’ fans to believe if Luka Doncic would have played, the Mavs probably would have won this game. The superstar point guard sat out his third straight game while nursing some soreness in his left ankle. The good news is the Mavs took an All-Star stacked Laker team down to the wire in overtime before losing a game they admitted they should have won. Games like these are lessons learned and will be invaluable to the Mavs whenever Doncic is back on the court. Sans Doncic, I’m sure not many thought the Mavs would even be in this game against the Lakers.
PORZINGIS SHINING BRIGHT: Once again, Kristaps Porzingis showed why the Mavs sold the farm – or at least a portion of it – to acquire his services during a Jan. 31, 2019 trade with the New York Knicks. Porzingis collected 23 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, and his jumper with 56.7 seconds left in regulation is what gave the Mavs that 93-90 cushion which wound up forcing the Lakers to have to perform a Houdini act just to get this game into overtime. The performance by Porzingis came a game after he contributed 24 points, 13 rebounds and five blocks in Monday’s contest against Charlotte.
SHOOTING WOES: Coach Jason Kidd must be pulling the hair out of head after he repeatedly watches his team go through these mind-boggling shooting woes. One game after shooting 51.8 percent from the floor and converting 19-of-41 three-pointers (46.3 percent) in Monday’s 24-point win over Charlotte, the Mavs digressed and had problems trying to find the basket during the overtime loss to the Lakers. Overall against the Lakers, the Mavs were just 39-of-98 from the field for a frosty 39.8 percent. And they didn’t look that great from three-point land, where they were only 12-of-44 for a chilly 27.3 percent.
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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