LeBron James defiant in defeat after refusing to admit Lakers letdown after NBA Cup win: "Gave ourselves a chance"
LeBron James and the LA Lakers entered Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks on a high after winning the NBA Cup on Saturday. The Lakers had a chance to extend their winning streak to five games, but the short-handed Mavericks were led by Luka Doncic. James was defiant after the game, refusing to admit that they were too comfortable coming out of Las Vegas.
The Lakers were down early in the first quarter, with the Mavericks taking a 10-point lead at halftime. James and Co. made a run in the third quarter to make it an entertaining game heading into the final period. However, the Doncic and Dante Exum show in the fourth quarter led Dallas to a 127-125 win.
In his postgame interview, "The King" was asked about the Lakers' slow start to the game and if he would attribute it to their In-Season Tournament triumph over the weekend.
James didn;t want to make any excuses but was happy with how they gave themselves a chance to win in the second half.
"I'm not making no excuses about it," James said. "I mean, obviously, the In-Season Tournament was what it was in Vegas, you know?
"We took care of business there, and we came in here ,and that first quarter wasn't to our liking. We still made a game of it and gave ourselves a chance to win."
LeBron James had a huge game on Tuesday, finishing with 33 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Anthony Davis had a game-high 37 points with 11 rebounds and two blocks, but it was not enough to give the Lakers the win.
Luka Doncic and Dante Exum took over in the fourth quarter for the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic had eight points and six assists in the final period, drawing defenses before kicking out to an open teammate.
Exum benefitted from Doncic's passing, scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter. He had eight 3-point shots before the game but went 7-for-9 against the Lakers. Doncic had 33 points, six rebounds and 17 assists, while Exum contributed 26 points, four rebounds and three assists.
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What's next for LeBron James and the Lakers?
The LA Lakers dropped to 14-10 after their loss to the Dallas Mavericks, moving down to sixth in the Western Conference. LeBron James and the Lakers continue their three-game Texas road trip in San Antonio on Wednesday.
They end the road trip in San Antonio when they face the Spurs again on Friday night before returning home to California for a matchup against the New York Knicks on Monday.
After that home game, the Lakers will be back on the road again. They are scheduled to visit Chicago on Dec. 20, Minnesota on Dec. 21 and Oklahoma City on Dec. 23.
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