Luka Doncic heroics help Dallas Mavericks win wild game over Lakers in LA

The Dallas Mavericks won a strange and wild game over the Los Angeles Lakers 119-115 in double overtime on Thursday night. It snapped a two-game losing streak as Dallas improved to 8-13 on the road this season. Luka Doncic had his tenth triple-double of the season, but the Lakers got back into the game by shutting him down. The 23-year-old was not going to let Dallas lose, and it took two heroic shots to give the Mavs a chance to pick up the victory in Los Angeles.

The Lakers were blitzing number 77 often on Thursday night, but he kept making the right plays. It resulted in Luka’s tenth triple-double of the season and the 56th of his career as he finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists, one steal, and one block in 53 minutes of action. Doncic was 14 of 28 from the field on Thursday night at Crypto.com arena. He hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds to tie the game and send it to overtime. He drilled another clutch shot to send it to double OT. 

King James needed 35 points to become the second player in NBA history to score 38,000 career points, but he finished with 24 in the loss. Doncic stole the show, but he got plenty of help from Christian Wood, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Spencer Dinwiddie in a wild road victory. Here is a look at the Mavs' performance before taking a look at what is ahead.

Luka Doncic heroics help Dallas Mavericks win a wild game over Lakers in LA

The Mavs got off to a fast start on Thursday night, and they lead by 19 late in the opening quarter. Doncic had nine points in the first 12 minutes, including this beautiful Dirk Nowitzki-esque jumper.

It was not always pretty in Los Angeles. Dallas had 36 points in the first quarter, but they struggled to hit shots over the final 46 minutes. The Lakers tried to take Luka out of the game by blitzing and sending two. Los Angeles forced someone else to defeat them on Thursday night, but the role players stepped up. Christian Wood finished with 24 points and five blocks as Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 in the victory.

Doncic had just three points in the final quarter, despite playing all 12 minutes. Russell Westbrook and the Lakers played outstanding defense, but Luka saved his points for this key 3-pointer that send the game to overtime.

Luka hit nearly an identical shot to send the game to double overtime. He kept finding a way to do it, despite the Lakers' strong defense. Doncic once again proved he is dangerous in clutch situations, and Luka's will to win helped the Mavericks pick up a wild victory on Jan. 12.

It was an uncharacteristic game for Dallas on Thursday night as they committed 16 turnovers, including five by Doncic. The Mavericks struggled to score and take care of the ball, which let the Lakers back into the game, but they cleaned it up in the overtimes to secure the win. 

Spencer Dinwiddie came up massive in the overtime periods in Los Angeles. He had two monster dunks and multiple key baskets. The Lakers taking Luka out of the game left plenty of opportunities for Dinwiddie to create, and he did just enough on Thursday night to help the Mavericks win.

It was a strange game. Both teams were upset with the inconsistent officiating, and the Lakers had a massive 16-field goal attempt edge in the contest. Dallas did not play their best, but they found a way to win in Los Angeles.

Credit to the Lakers. They took Luka Doncic out of the game by blitzing. Number 77 was forced to pass out of it, and Dallas struggled to find ways to get him the ball back with a chance to shoot. Luka had 27 points after three quarters, and he finished with just 35. Doncic found a way to hit some incredible shots to keep the Mavs in the contest, but it was Dinwiddie, Wood, and Hardaway Jr. stepping up that helped them win.

The Dallas Mavericks wrap up their five-game road trip with a back-to-back in Portland against the Trail Blazers on Saturday and Sunday. Luka Doncic versus Damian Lillard always delivers fireworks, so fans will not want to miss a second of the action this weekend.