The Los Angeles Lakers’ recent surge in momentum hit a wall this week, as they dropped two consecutive road games in Texas. Their latest defeat, a 118-97 loss to the undermanned Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, has dropped the Lakers to the sixth seed in the Western Conference.  

“I mean, it sucks, obviously, especially knowing where we were and how well we’ve been playing,” said LeBron James after the loss. The Lakers had entered the road trip as the No. 4 seed in the West, bolstered by a series of strong performances and recent acquisitions, including Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.  

However, their struggles began in Houston, where they fell 119-115 to a Rockets team missing key player Jabari Smith Jr. The Lakers’ defensive woes continued against the Mavericks, who were without Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Daniel Gafford. Despite Dallas’ depleted roster, they dominated the second half, outscoring Los Angeles 63-47 and shooting an impressive 52.3% from the field, including 47.4% from three-point range.  

“Obviously, they killed us with any iso stuff,” said Lakers coach JJ Redick, noting the Mavericks’ ability to exploit mismatches.  

LeBron James, who recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists, credited Dallas coach Jason Kidd for his strategic approach. “I felt like they just put people in pick-and-roll who they wanted in pick-and-roll and they tried to exploit matchups,” James said.  

Austin Reaves was a frequent target, particularly in isolation plays. Reaves, who posted a minus-25 plus/minus in 32 minutes, acknowledged his struggles. “The first half was god-awful,” he said. “The second half I thought was better. But I can’t allow that. I was just really, really bad on both sides of the ball tonight.”  

Anthony Davis, typically the Lakers’ most consistent performer, also had a challenging night, scoring 21 points on 7-for-18 shooting. Despite grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking two shots, Davis couldn’t prevent the Mavericks from outscoring the Lakers 52-40 in the paint.  

The loss highlighted broader defensive communication issues for the Lakers, a point emphasized by Finney-Smith. “We got to do a better job of talking behind guys, giving them confidence so defenders can crawl up in ball handlers and force them to the rim,” he said.  

The Lakers will now return to Los Angeles for a critical stretch of home games, including a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets and a game at the Intuit Dome against the Clippers. Despite the setbacks, LeBron James remained focused on moving forward.  

“We got another game in, s—, less than 48 hours,” James said. “That’s the name of the game of the NBA. You see what you could’ve done better, but you got to get ready for the next opponent.”