Coming down to earth after clinching the In-Season Tournament crown, the Lakers face a bitter defeat at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks.

This year is the first time the NBA has organized a cup tournament right in the middle of the Regular Season (In-Season Tournament, or IST for short).

It can be said that this was a quite successful experiment when IST’s appeal was relatively great, attracting the attention of not only fans but also making the players compete with fire.

Even better, the first championship team of the In-Season Tournament was the Los Angeles Lakers and the MVP title belonged to LeBron James, names that brought great resonance.

But the first time is always a bit strange, even for champions. Just three days after lifting the trophy, LeBron James and his teammates had to immediately return to their normal playing routine.

From the feeling of enjoying confetti fireworks, lifting trophies and exploding champagne in the locker room (something previous NBA teams could only do after winning the tournament), the Los Angeles Lakers must return to the Regular Season.

And true to the predictions of some experts, coach Darvin Ham and his team showed signs of lack of concentration in the match against the Dallas Mavericks this morning in Vietnam time.

"image"
“King” LeBron James and “prince” Luka Doncic faced off on the morning of December 13 Vietnam time

The Lakers’ defense is no longer as sharp as in the IST finals, where they locked down Tyrese Haliburton and the current No. 1 NBA attack of the Indiana Pacers. On the contrary, the LA team let Luka Doncic and the Dallas team, lacking many key players, shoot 21 3-pointers.

On offense, the Lakers played a not bad game with 53.8% FG and 51.7% 3PT. scored 125 points with 34 out of 49 successful shots assisted. But all could not compensate for the hole in defense and the slow start of LeBron James and the Lakers players.

"image"
Luka Doncic had 17 assists in this match, along with 33 points

On the day Seth Curry had to leave the field early due to injury and Kyrie Irving was out from the beginning of the match, Luka Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks with 33 points, especially he had 17 assists .

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 32 points with 5 successful 3-pointers. Another name that is also thrown into the hands of the Dallas side is Grant Williams. The former Boston player had 5-7 3PT and scored 19 points.

Particularly, Australian striker Dante Exum suddenly exploded with 26 points. From the beginning of the season until this match, Exum had only 8 successful 3-pointers in 19 matches. Yet when he appeared on the court this morning against the Lakers, he threw in 7 3-pointers.

"image"
Dante Exum (No. 0) caused sadness for the Los Angeles Lakers with 7 3-pointers in this match even though in the previous 19 games, he had only thrown a total of 8 3-pointers.

As for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis continue to lead. “The King” had 33 points with 9 assists and 8 rebounds along with 3 steals.

Davis had a double-double of 37 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. The remaining two prominent names, Austin Reaves and Taurean Prince, scored 22 and 15 points respectively.

This result caused the Lakers to have their 10th loss this season, achieving a total record of 14-10 and temporarily ranked 6th in the Western rankings. This is the LA team’s second consecutive close loss to the Dallas Mavericks, last time they were defeated by Kyrie Irving’s “fatal” 3-pointer.=

The yellow and purple team will have the opportunity to regain the feeling of victory tomorrow (December 14) when facing the San Antonio Spurs, the second match in a series of 3 consecutive matches away from home.

Related Posts

LeBron’s Work Ethic Outshines: ‘Not Even Kobe or MJ Did That,’ Says Former Bucks Guard, Putting Him in All-Time Top 5

In a recent interview with HoopsHype, Greivis Vasquez named LeBron James one of his top five players of all time. Vasquez, drafted 28th overall by the Memphis…

LeBron and Bronny Set to Make History Together in Lakers’ Season Opener: 100% Confirmed!

One major storyline to follow for the Los Angeles Lakers this season will be Bronny and LeBron James making history as the first father-son duo to share the court together in the NBA. LeBron is heading into his 22nd season while Bronny begins …

LeBron James Stays Silent as 17-Year-Old Bryce Boldly Challenges NBA Superstar Dad to a 1v1 Duel

LeBron James was a beast back in high school. Older fans will remember how dominant he was as a teen back then, attracting scouts from around the…

30 Teams, 30 Days: Lakers Rely on LeBron and AD to Lead the Charge Again

Offseason Re-signing: Max Christie, LeBron James Additions: Coach JJ Redick, Christian Koloko Draft: Dalton Knecht (No. 17 pick), Bronny James (No. 55) Departures: Coach Darvin Ham, Spencer Dinwiddie (to Mavs), Taurean…

NBA Bids Farewell to a Legend, Fans Unexpectedly Turn to LeBron James

As one of the two most prestigious NBA journalists, Adrian Wojnarowski has long won the trust of fans with hot, fast and accurate transfer information. But after a long time in journalism, Wojnarowski himself shared the “blockbuster” …

Maria Sharapova Celebrates 10 Million Fans on Facebook: A Grand Slam in Social Media!

Tennis – World no. 2 Maria Sharapova is not only the highest earning female in the world but she is also the most popular female athlete in all of sports in social media. Sharapova, who will defend her French Open title next week, has now reached 10 million …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *