Fans in awe as LeBron and AD-inspired LA Lakers mount huge comeback win vs Dallas, with Patrick Mahomes attending: "We tried to warn you!"
LeBron James and the LA Lakers just did what was once impossible. They rallied from a 27-point deficit against the Dallas Mavericks to pull off a stunning comeback win that was one for the record books.
Some fans who watched the game still had trouble believing what they had just seen. All the same, they promptly expressed their thoughts.
Caution: Tweets contain the use of expletives.
"We tried to warn you."
@TheNBACentral We tried to warn you https://t.co/eryqCZW75B
@LakeShowYo i can’t fucking believe it
@LakeShowYo YEEEESSSS, WHERES THE MOTHAFCUKER HATERSSSS
@LakeShowYo Kyrie on the bench not knowing who to root for https://t.co/OOH5wfQykp
@TheNBACentral Yeah it’s easy when the refs are playing for the lakers
@TheNBACentral Kyrie effect 🤷♂️ he’s bad for morale
@LegionHoops Westbrick is the problem!!
@LegionHoops With westbrook they lose by 40
@BleacherReport Vanderbilt tonight https://t.co/Uy6DLjLcSZ
Kyrie tryna sneak on to the Lakers plane after the game https://t.co/n7oIUtLoGv
With 6:52 left in the second quarter, the LA Lakers were trailing 48-21. At one point, they missed 21 of their 25 attempts bridging the first and second periods.
The Lakers were so bad from the three-point line in the first half. They were 3-21 from deep and seemed ready to be blown off the court. To make matters worse, they were even missing some close-range shots.
The inept offense affected the way the Lakers played defense. They were late in rotations, they allowed Luka Doncic to go to his spots and they didn't show much effort chasing loose balls.
After scoring just 16 points in the first quarter, the LA Lakers were in danger of matching the same output in the second period. A late flurry before the end of the first half took their total to 31 points, just two shy of the Dallas Mavericks' 33.
Darvin Ham's team were showing some signs of life for the first time in the game just before the said half ended.
The LA Lakers refused to wilt and showed their heart
The LA Lakers were probably not winning this game before the trade deadline. They are a much deeper and more balanced team now after a flurry of trades made by Rob Pelinka.
Lakers just COMPLETED a 27-point comeback to win it 🔥 https://t.co/yBLrrET848
Jarred Vanderbilt, who was somewhat of an underrated piece in the trade that sent Russell Westbrook to Utah, exemplified the team's astonishing fightback. He was the Lakers' point of attack on defense, making Luka Doncic work very hard in almost every position.
When Doncic orchestrated Dallas' pick-and-roll plays with Kyrie Irving, "Vando" was still a menace. He relentlessly pressured Irving to make his entry passes for the Slovenian as tough as possible.
Jarred Vanderbilt was either disrupting the Mavericks' offense or turning their miscues into LA Lakers possessions. He finished the night with 15 points, 17 rebounds and four steals.
Anthony Davis swallowed everything the Dallas Mavericks ended up getting after trying to shake off Vanderbilt. He blocked shots, changed attempts at the rim and was masterful when switched out on the perimeter.
LeBron James, Austin Reaves and even Dennis Schroder also showed more energy and purpose on the defensive end. When the LA Lakers cut what was once a 27-point lead to a single-digit disadvantage, the momentum shifted to the Hollywood team.
This is a defensive masterpiece orchestrated by Jarred Vanderbilt and the Lakers, look how tough he made the entry pass eating a bunch of clock,knowing that Dallas wants to exploit the mismatch after the switch. He tells AD to be ready to rotate and all the others do their work https://t.co/Ep26eMLvn2
From the seven-minute mark of the fourth quarter to the final buzzer, there were 13 lead changes. The Lakers have clamped down on the Dallas Mavericks and were doggedly holding on after crawling out of their graves.
When Anthony Davis gave the Lakers a 108-105 lead with 18.1 seconds left, the Dallas Mavericks crowd was stunned. LA held on for the win and showed with heart and determination that they could push for a spot in the playoffs.
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