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Final: Lakers 107, Mavs 101

Box Score | Highlights

Behind the Box Score

Dallas outscored Los Angeles 32-15 in the second quarter. The +17 point differential was the team’s third-best quarter of the season, behind a +18 fourth quarter against Houston on Oct. 21 and a +19 third quarter at Memphis on Nov. 22.

With a pair of free throws in the first half, Dirk Nowitzki moved out of a tie with Jerry West and into sixth place on the all-time free throws made list (7,162).

Notebook

  • Dennis Smith Jr. put on a show in the first half, finishing a few highlight reel plays like the ones below.

    Smith was aggressive from the get-go, hitting three treys and attacking the lane, too, especially in transition. It’s a treat to watch him when he’s playing like that. It should be no surprise that he played so aggressively considering who lined up across from him: Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball, the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft. Smith loves the competitive aspect of facing off against fellow rookies from this illustrious class. Like Smith, Ball made a few really nice plays too. This batch of rookies has the chance to really be special. Smith recorded his seventh 20-point game.

  • The Lakers did a really good job of switching and building a wall in the second half to keep the Mavs out of the paint, which led to a ton of Mavs 3-point attempts. Unfortunately Dallas couldn’t consistently take advantage of those open looks, but still managed to mount a comeback in the final minute and force overtime. Down the stretch in regulation, the Mavs’ final two buckets — scored by Smith and Harrison Barnes — came at the rim.

    Those two have proven they can get in the paint when they’re aggressive enough. It was nice to see them able to create relatively easy shots in a very difficult situation. That’s the type of aggression Barnes (and Smith especially) must constantly play with in order to evolve into the type of closers they want to become.

    What’s Next

    The Mavs (15-29) will play the Denver Nuggets (22-20) on Tuesday at the Pepsi Center at 8 p.m. Central.

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