(Field Level media) Quentin Grimes scored a game-high 23 points off the bench, including six 3-pointers, helping the Dallas Mavericks beat the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 118-97yesterday.
Grimes also had nine rebounds and P.J. Washington had 22 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 as the Mavericks snapped a five-game losing streak. In place of an injured Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Jaden Hardy scored 15 points and Klay Thompson chipped in 13.
Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 21 points and 12 boards, while LeBron James collected 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Austin Reaves had 15 points, Dalton Knecht added 13. Max Christie scored 12 and Dorian Finney-Smith had 11 as the Lakers dropped their second straight. Leading by five at halftime, Dallas pushed its lead to 65-53 after Washington’s triple capped a 10-3 Mavericks’ run at the 9:45 mark of the third quarter.
James’ dunk then began a 6-0 Lakers’ spurt, pulling Los Angeles within six with 8:36 left.
After Davis’ back-to-back baskets cut Dallas’ lead to 71-66, Hardy knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to extend the Mavericks’ advantage to 11 with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter.
The Mavericks’ lead ballooned to 16 on Naji Marshall and Hardy’s layups, before Finney-Smith drained a triple, cutting the Lakers’ deficit to 89-76 entering the final quarter.
Knecht’s 3-pointer trimmed Dallas’ advantage to 98-90 at the 8:03 mark of the fourth, but Grimes’ triple stamped an ensuing 11-5 Mavericks’ run, extending their lead to 14 with 4:53 left.
Reaves answered with a layup, but the Lakers were held scoreless the final 4:42, while Dallas finished the game on a 9-0 run.
After Dallas took a 9-5 lead to start the game, James’ dunk began a 7-0 Lakers’ run that ended with another James basket at the 6:18 mark of the first quarter.
Trailing 24-21, Dallas tied the game on Grimes’ triple before James’ 3-pointer with 17 seconds left in the first quarter gave the Lakers a three-point advantage entering the second.
The Mavericks began the second quarter on an 8-2 run, capped with Grimes’ step-back triple.
Trailing 44-43, the Lakers retook the lead on Christie’s personal 7-0 run, stamped with his dunk at the 2:59 mark.
From there, Dallas finished the first half on an 11-0 run, including Thompson’s three consecutive triples.
