The Dallas Mavericks snapped a five-game losing streak on Tuesday night with a commanding 118-97 victory over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Mavericks delivered an offensive clinic, shooting an impressive 18-of-38 from beyond the arc while exploiting defensive mismatches to create open looks all over the floor.

LeBron James, who nearly recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists on 6-of-12 shooting, acknowledged the Mavericks’ effective game plan in his postgame media availability. “They had a great game plan versus our defense, and obviously, they watched to see how we play,” James said. “They put us in a lot of pick-and-rolls, spread us out. Most of the time, it was five-out when [Derek] Lively wasn’t in the game. They had multiple ball-handlers; if they broke us down, it was either get to the rim or spray out, and then they play drive-and-kick game. Hit a lot of threes.”

James highlighted a critical moment late in the second quarter when the Lakers, holding a 50-44 lead, faltered. “We had a horrible finish to the second quarter after we were up 50-44, let Klay [Thompson] hit three in a row, and they end up going into the half up five,” he said. “They extended it from there. They put people in the pick-and-roll to exploit matchups, and when we got into rotations, we didn’t make enough second efforts.”

The Mavericks’ offense was bolstered by their ability to break down the Lakers’ defense, particularly in pick-and-roll situations. Their spacing and drive-and-kick approach left the Lakers scrambling on rotations, ultimately leading to a barrage of three-pointers. This efficient offensive execution allowed Dallas to build on their halftime lead and keep Los Angeles at bay throughout the second half.

For the Lakers, the loss marked the end of a two-game road trip to Texas without a win, following a narrow defeat in Houston on Sunday. James expressed his frustration, saying, “It sucks, especially knowing where we were, how well we’d been playing. We had a chance in Houston and started off in the first half horrible, but we made ourselves a one-possession game. Played pretty good all the way until about the last three minutes of this second quarter, and we [were] playing catch-up… We can’t really dwell on it too much.”

The win was a much-needed boost for the Mavericks, who now look to build momentum as they aim to climb the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Lakers will need to regroup quickly to avoid further setbacks as they continue their push for playoff positioning.