But when their 27-point lead evaporated, it did. And the Lakers knew exactly what crucial challenge the Mavericks were facing.
The Lakers know the drill. And they also know it’s easier said than done when it comes to clutch-time execution in that situation.
I was just trying to speed him up and make the catch tough, said Lakers’ newcomer Jarred Vanderbilt. “Those guys are still trying to figure out what they’re doing at the end of games, too.
The Lakers won despite missing their first 15 three-point tries and shooting just 32 percent in the first half.
“We’re in a good place,” James said. “We’re going to try to continue that. We have the ability to now look at ways we can be good.
If we can’t shoot it well, we can still get the ball popping, but we need to get the ball in the paint and get offensive rebounds when we’re not shooting well.
To have that ability to say, OK, if we’re not shooting well, we can still be in the game, we can still be productive, that’s the key for our ballclub.
Maxi Kleber and Davis Bertans remain sidelined, but both are trending in the right direction, Kidd said before Sunday’s game.
“Maxi and Davis are still out, but improving,” he said. “They did great with the stuff they’re working on. We’ll see at practice tomorrow (Monday) if they continue to keep improving.
There are four more opportunities on this stay at American Airlines Center for them to return, including Tuesday against Rick Carlisle’s Indiana Pacers.