Mavericks annihilate Lakers by 49 points
DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks blitzed the Los Angeles Lakers in the second quarter and rode it to an easy 122-73 blowout victory Sunday afternoon at American Airlines Center.
It was the Mavericks' largest margin of victory and 13th consecutive win against the Lakers. Dallas missed its first 50-point victory since a win over Philadelphia on Nov. 13, 2014 while Los Angeles suffered the most lopsided defeat in franchise history.
The Mavericks (15-29) put an end to a two-game losing streak with a 31-9 surge in the second quarter that built upon their 29-22 lead after one quarter. The margin quickly ballooned into double digits and then reached as high as 34 points in the second quarter, a lead that was insurmountable for the shorthanded Lakers (16-32), who failed in an attempt to win consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 12.
Dallas took a 67-33 lead into the locker room and there wasn't much reason to return for the second half. The Lakers dropped to 3-11 when playing without starting point guard D'Angelo Russell, who sustained knee and calf injuries in the Lakers' win Friday night.
The Mavericks, who had a season-best three-game game winning streak snuffed out by consecutive close losses to Miami and Utah, shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half, including going 9-of-20 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Lakers, were a brutal 13-of-37 from the floor -- including 2-of-16 from beyond the arc -- in the first half and committed nine turnovers and were outrebounded 28-15, including 8 to 2 on the offensive glass.
The Lakers put up little resistance in the third quarter as Dallas grew its lead to 37 points and led 84-49 with barely 90 seconds to go in the third quarter.
The Dallas lead hit 40 points for the first time at 99-59 with just under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The biggest lead was 53 points as the Mavericks nearly doubled the Lakers' scoring.
Dallas got extremely balanced scoring with seven players in double figures, but with no player totaling more than Justin Anderson's 19 points. Anderson, who has had trouble maintaining a spot in coach Rick Carlisle's rotation, was 6 of 8 from the floor. Guard Seth Curry had 14 points and Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes and Deron Williams all scored 13 points.
Only two Lakers players scored in double figures -- Lou Williams with 15 points and Jordan Clarkson with 10 as the Lakers shot 38.4 percent for the entire game. Luol Deng, Justin Randle and Nick Young all scored nine points.
Los Angeles went a paltry 14.3 percent from beyond the arc, making must 3-of-21 attempts.
NOTES: Mavericks G J.J. Barea will likely be out until after next month's NBA All-Star Game after sustaining a left calf strain in Friday's loss against Utah, coach Rick Carlisle said. ... C Andrew Bogut (right hamstring strain) could return this week, according to Carlisle. ... Mavericks PG Deron Williams needed five assists to move into 20th place on the NBA's career list. ... Dallas SG Wesley Matthews made three 3-pointers and has 1,202 for his career. ... Lakers PG D'Angelo Russell will miss one to two weeks after an MRI confirmed a mild MCL sprain in his right knee, a right calf strain and a bone bruise. Russell, who did not make the trip to Dallas, will be re-evaluated in one week. ... F Larry Nance Jr. is on a restriction with total time and consecutive minutes played, coach Luke Walton said.