First, the start was unfavorable, and the Lakers fell into a low ebb.
This game against the Dallas Mavericks should have been a good opportunity for the Lakers to stabilize their position and run in the team. But what people never expected was that after the start, the Lakers were like falling into an ice cave, and they couldn't play at the level they should have.
James, the captain and the top player, can be said to have pulled back. He scored just 10 points on just 4-of-10 shooting from the field and made a lot of turnovers. The defensive end was even more of a mess, and was continuously broken by the opponent's small forward Doncic. That's two people compared to James' old standards!
Fortunately, the veteran Davis played hard and scored 20 points with a super high shooting percentage. But other than that, the rest of the Lakers' players didn't make much of a difference. Russell, in particular, was a new signing with only 2 points in this campaign, which can be called a "transparent man".
The Lakers trailed by 8 points in the first quarter at 26-34, which was a very ugly start in a matchup between strong teams. Barely recovered 2 points in the second quarter, and then quickly expanded to a 15-point gap by the opponent. With such a passive score, people can't help but worry about whether they can successfully turn the tables in the future.
Second, Doncic dominates the situation, and the Mavericks have deep strength.
Doncic's game can be described as "miraculous", with countless highlights. In the first half, he alone cut 18 points and 9 assists in the all-round data, completely dominating the rhythm of the game.
What's more valuable is that in the absence of teammate Irving, Doncic is not under much pressure. In addition to his personal form, his teammates around him have also stepped up to play.
Hardaway Jr., who started off the bench, had an excellent hand, shooting extremely high three-point and mid-range shooting percentages, and the high production of 20 points caught the Lakers off guard. In addition, Williams hit all 13 points, and Exum also had a good performance. It can be seen that even without Irving, the depth of the Mavericks' rotation is impressive.
And more crucially, Doncic has a whopping 9 assists this time!This shows that not only is he playing well, but his organisational skills and coordination with his teammates are also excellent. Under his leadership, the Mavericks' offense is varied, and the Lakers have nothing to do.
The high production of 34 points in the first quarter and 71 points in the half confirmed that the Mavericks are a strong team in the sky. Their deep rotation and tacit cooperation are exactly what the Lakers are lacking right now.
Third, who can turn the tide of the tide on the same path?
By halftime, the Mavericks led the Lakers by 10 points, 71-61. This is an extremely unfavorable score for the Lakers, and it will be extremely difficult to turn the tables in the future.
But the game is not over yet, the oath is still there, and no one can predict the final outcome. Perhaps the Lakers found a way to bite the score in the locker room and were eager to catch up at the start of the third quarter;Or maybe the Mavericks will take advantage of their strength and keep the score firmly in hand.
Regardless of the prospects, this game has shown us a fact to this day - the Lakers and the Mavericks, although they are very different in strength and status, have only one goal, that is, to fight their way through the brutal competition in the West and finally win the championship!
Who can break through the current predicament, struggle to get up from the quagmire, turn the tide, and finally realize the dream?Let's wait and see!