Mavs' Luka Doncic reacts to pulling out thrilling win over Lakers after monster collapse
The Dallas Mavericks held a convincing lead for most of Wednesday's game versus the Los Angeles Lakers . LA battled back in the fourth quarter though, making it an extremely competitive affair. Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic , and the Mavs were able to escape in the end with a 104-101 victory on the road.
Irving and Doncic played well in the game . They led the way for Dallas as the team held off the Lakers' comeback attempt. Doncic commented on the Mavs' win after the game, per Dwain Price of mavs.com.
“The Lakers are a great team,” Doncic said. “They have great players, so they’re able to do this. We were down two there. Everybody kept together, and then we won the game.”
Doncic also applauded the Mavs' defense through the first three quarters. Dallas' defense has been a subject of discussion and one of the team's most pressing concerns. Their effort was impressive to open the game though.
Mavs earn the victory
The fourth quarter saw the Lakers make things interesting. In fact, Los Angeles even led at one point. Irving and Doncic displayed the ability to close out a game in the end.
Irving made a great defensive play to cause a turnover which initially stunted the Lakers' momentum. He later found the bottom of the net from beyond the arc, a three-pointer that gave the Mavs the lead late in the quarter. A costly LeBron James turnover ultimately led to Dallas earning the victory.
Dallas would have obviously preferred to have cruised to an easy win. Resting the stars in the fourth quarter certainly would have appealed to head coach Jason Kidd. Nevertheless, the Mavs were able to win the game despite the Lakers' refusal to give up.
The Mavs will stay in Los Angeles and play the Clippers on Saturday night before heading back home to host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday.
