The Lakers didn’t just beat the Mavericks on Monday night - they controlled them from start to finish. Powered by a vintage LeBron James triple-double and a sharp, efficient showing from Austin Reaves, Los Angeles rolled to a 124-104 win that felt even more lopsided than the scoreboard suggests. This was a game defined by steady pressure, smart execution, and a physical edge that Dallas never matched.
Let’s break down how the Lakers got it done.
1. LeBron Was the Conductor of a Masterclass
LeBron James didn’t force the issue - he simply dictated the game. His 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists came in the flow of the offense, not from chasing stats. He shot 10-of-20 from the field and 6-of-7 from the line in 35 minutes, and every one of those minutes mattered.
What stood out wasn’t just the numbers - it was the control. When Dallas tried to make a push, LeBron slowed things down, found the open man, or created a mismatch.
It’s no coincidence the Lakers tallied 35 assists on 48 made shots. LeBron accounted for more than a third of those dimes, and his fingerprints were all over the rhythm of the game.
Los Angeles led for 85% of the night and built a cushion as large as 22 points. That’s not just scoring - that’s tempo control, and LeBron was the one holding the remote.
2. Austin Reaves Played the Efficiency Game to Perfection
Reaves didn’t need volume to make an impact - he just needed the right looks. In 28 minutes, he poured in 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting, went 7-of-9 from the line, and added 6 assists. He picked his spots, attacked when the lane opened, and made Dallas pay for every defensive lapse.
His timing was just as valuable as his efficiency. Every time the Mavericks tried to string together a few stops or buckets, Reaves had an answer - a drive, a kick, a pull-up jumper. He didn’t just score; he disrupted Dallas’ rhythm.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks struggled to find their stroke from deep, shooting just 26.9% (7-of-26) from beyond the arc. The Lakers, by contrast, didn’t settle. They shot 55.8% from the field overall, a testament to their shot selection and interior dominance.
3. Lakers Owned the Paint and the Glass
The rebounding battle wasn’t close - Los Angeles outrebounded Dallas 44-28, including 10 offensive boards that turned into second-chance points and momentum-swinging possessions.
Jaxson Hayes gave the Lakers a jolt off the bench, finishing with 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds. LeBron added 10 boards of his own, and the supporting cast - including Reaves and Jarred Vanderbilt - helped keep Dallas off the glass.
That presence inside translated directly to the scoreboard. The Lakers racked up 66 points in the paint, compared to 54 for the Mavericks. Even with just 32.3% shooting from three, the Lakers didn’t need to rely on perimeter jumpers - they dominated where it counted most.
4. Dallas Couldn't Sustain Anything
At first glance, Dallas’ 49.4% shooting from the field looks respectable. But the cracks were in the details.
The Mavericks hit only 7 threes, dished out just 22 assists, and coughed up 15 turnovers. That’s not a formula for keeping pace with a team firing on all cylinders.
Max Christie, despite scoring 19 points, posted a team-worst -28 plus-minus. P.J.
Washington and Naji Marshall each added 18 and 19 points, respectively, but none of it translated into meaningful runs. The Mavericks led for just 7% of the game and never built a lead larger than two points.
The offense had its moments, but the defense couldn’t string together stops. That’s how a game slips away - not in one big run, but in a steady bleed of missed rotations, lost rebounds, and empty possessions.
5. Balanced Lakers Attack Closed the Door
This wasn’t just about LeBron and Reaves. Rui Hachimura chipped in 21 points on an ultra-efficient 9-of-13 shooting, and Jake LaRavia added 11 off the bench. The Lakers were locked in from the stripe, hitting 18-of-21 free throws (85.7%), and they turned 15 Dallas turnovers into 20 points.
The Lakers only turned it over 13 times themselves and kept the ball moving all night. Their 35 assists weren’t just a stat - they were a reflection of how connected this group played. Everyone knew their role, and everyone contributed.
From the opening tip, this looked like a team that came in with a plan - and executed it. Good defense, smart shot selection, and steady contributions across the board turned what could’ve been a close matchup into a wire-to-wire win.
Bottom Line: This was the kind of performance that reminds you what the Lakers can look like when everything clicks. LeBron set the tone, Reaves and Hachimura delivered efficient scoring, and the team dominated the margins - rebounding, turnovers, and paint points.
It wasn’t flashy. It was just effective.
And sometimes, that’s the most dangerous version of this team.