The Los Angeles Lakers won in overtime against the Dallas Mavericks thanks to Austin Reaves’ game-winner, 107-104.
Los Angeles jumped out to a 33-23 lead after one quarter. L.A. shot 6-of-9 from deep while Dallas went 0-of-7. LeBron James led the way with 10 points, while Russell Westbrook’s downhill aggression paved the way to 8 points and open looks from the perimeter for players like Austin Reaves.
Then, it all went downhill for L.A. Dallas responded with a 15-0 run right out of the gates in the second and took the lead. Los Angeles’ offense mustered just 14 points in the quarter thanks to a LeBron triple to end the half. The Lakers shot a miserable 5-of-22 from the field, and James (15 points) was the only Laker in double-digits. Anthony Davis, who returned from injury, had more turnovers (five) than points (four).
The Lakers got Davis going with the pick-and-roll game as the big man scored 11 points in the third. However, even though Dallas kept clanking shots off the rim, the game stayed close. It was knotted at 73 going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was a mix of slow offense and rapid shotmaking. It all culminated in a wild sequence that resulted in Wayne Ellington drilling a corner triple to force overtime.
Overtime, of course, was wild. Both teams exchanged tough 3-pointers late in the period, but it was Reaves’ shot in the final seconds that sealed the deal.
Here is how the Lakers graded individually from a rollercoaster win:
Russell Westbrook: A-minus
Russell Westbrook had a strong start to the game with his downhill attacking but decelerated as the game went on. However, he made timely baskets late in the fourth quarter and overtime to round out a solid night. He posted 23 points (8-of-18 FG), 10 rebounds and nine assists, including the kick-out pass to Reaves for the win.
Westbrook had hit a triple from the same spot a few seconds ago, but he passed it up for Reaves to get the look he did. And it worked.
Avery Bradley: B-minus
Avery Bradley got after it on the defensive end all night. He recorded two steals to show for it, but he was one of the better individual defenders against Jalen Brunson and company. However, his minutes in crunch time went elsewhere because he had a cold shooting night (1-of-5 from deep).
Wayne Ellington: A
Wayne Ellington got the start with Talen Horton-Tucker out. Despite a cold start, Ellington made up for it with huge shots and defensive plays down the stretch. His two-man game with LeBron opened up good looks for him, and he hit the shot that forced overtime. He also had tremendous hustle plays on defense that prevented an open layup in transition and also jumped a pass to get the possession back to L.A.
He shot wasn’t perfect (3-of-9 on 3-pointers) but he showed he wanted to win.
LeBron James: A-minus
LeBron had a relatively quiet second half. He led the Lakers in scoring in the first 24 minutes but cooled off as the game progressed. He finished with 24 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal on 9-of-19 shooting overall and 4-of-9 from deep. He settled for too many jumpers late in the game but got downhill when hunting Brunson on switches.
Still, the Lakers needed James to facilitate to have a chance at winning, and he delivered.
Anthony Davis: B-minus
Davis started to find his rhythm in the second half but still didn’t impose himself. He made key shots down low and passes (like to Westbrook who made a strong weakside cut near the rim for a layup) but could definitely improve on this.
He finished with 20 points (8-of-18 FG, 0-of-3 3P), 12 rebounds and two assists. He’ll need to sharpen his passing when opponents send double-teams because he turned it over six times.
Austin Reaves: A-plus
Austin Reaves had the game of his (young) life. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie posted 15 points (5-of-6 3P), seven rebounds, two assists and a steal in 32 minutes. He was a staple in the closing lineup, which is a testament to how potent he’s been on both ends of the floor.
It culminated in the game-winner, but he likely would’ve gotten an A-plus regardless. He deserves a shoutout for his rotations, individual defense on several possessions and great closeouts.
Carmelo Anthony: C
Carmelo Anthony played 24 minutes but didn’t come in during crunch time. He put up nine points, four rebounds and a block. He shot 3-of-8 overall and 1-of-2 from deep as he tried to get going on the low block on isolation plays.
Kent Bazemore: C-minus
Kent Bazemore entered the rotation and played 15 minutes with Horton-Tucker and Malik Monk out. He missed all three of his shots but had some deflections on defense. He still has a ways to go to find his footing if he wants to be a regular in the lineup again.
Lakers player grades: Austin Reaves gets A+ in win vs. Mavericks - LeBron Wire
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