TL;DR
- Los Angeles Lakers defeated Dallas Mavericks by 10 points to extend their winning streak.
- Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 38 points on efficient shooting.
- Lakers secured second seed in Western Conference NBA Cup bracket, hosting San Antonio Spurs.
- Luka Doncic scored 35 points, Deandre Ayton added 17 for the Mavericks.
The Los Angeles Lakers entered Friday night's contest versus Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks on a five-game winning streak. Additionally, the NBA Cup standings were at stake, with each squad playing its last Group Play game. In the end, Los Angeles emerged victorious, extending their lead in the latter half to best Dallas by 10 points. Even though they were behind at halftime, the Lakers outscored Dallas by six in the third and fourth quarters.
Austin Reaves spearheaded the effort, delivering one of his most outstanding and efficient showings this season. Reaves concluded the game with 38 points, achieving an impressive 12-of-15 field goals, which included 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Additionally, Reaves contributed eight boards and three assists. Luka Doncic also had a strong showing, tallying 35 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds, notably going a perfect 11-for-11 at the charity stripe. Deandre Ayton proved highly productive as well, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds on 8-of-9 shooting.
However, impressive shooting was prevalent across the entire Lakers roster. The squad achieved a 59% success rate from the field during the contest, alongside an outstanding 51% from beyond the arc.
With that victory, Los Angeles secured the second position in the Western Conference's NBA Cup bracket. Oklahoma City claimed the top seed and will be the host for the Phoenix Suns during the quarterfinals. The Lakers are scheduled to host the San Antonio Spurs. Both matchups are slated for December 10th.
In the meantime, Los Angeles will look for their seventh consecutive win against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
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