Luka Doncic Slaps LeBron James and Anthony Davis With Reality Check – 3 Key Takeaways as Mavs Beat NBA Cup Winners

Coming off the NBA In-Season Tournament victory, many people expected the Lakers to pick up pace and slowly start solidifying their season. However, they stumbled immediately, as they lost 127-125 to a weakened Dallas Mavericks side. Missing Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Derrick Jones Jr., Dallas looked to facilitate their offense through Luka Doncic yet again. The Slovenian didn’t disappoint, as he notched up a double-double with 33 points and 17 assists to sink the Lakers.

Here are the three takeaways.

1. Luka is a front-runner for MVP

From the moment Luka Doncic was drafted into the NBA, the consensus was that he would one day win the MVP award. Now in his 6th season, it looks like that may finally come to fruition. After spearheading the Mavs for the previous few seasons, it looks like Doncic has taken his game to another level this year. In 22 games this season, he’s averaging 32 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 8.9 assists on a true shooting percentage of 61.2%.

He put up yet another clinic against the Lakers, as he notched up 33 points, 17 assists, and 6 rebounds. Ranked at 4th in the MVP voting ladder before the Lakers game, Doncic’s performance will be sure to have a lot of analysts re-evaluating their lists. Should he go on to win the coveted award this season, he would be the 4th straight non-American MVP, and the 1st for the Mavericks since the iconic Dirk Nowitzki.

2. Dante Exum takes maximum advantage of injuries

A severely depleted roster for the Mavs led to Dante Exum being handed an opportunity in the game. The Australian point guard did not need any more motivation, as he went off for 26 points in 36 minutes, including 17 in the 4th quarter. He made 7 of 9 threes in the game, and his clutch bucket with 51 seconds left put the Mavericks ahead by 7 points.

After a long and complicated run in the league, the 2014 draft class alum seems to have finally found a home. Stints in Utah, Cleveland, and even FC Barcelona in the Euro League have all helped Exum improve his game to a point where he’s an invaluable member of the Mavs rotation.

Read More: Mavs’ Luka Doncic Puts LeBron James and Anthony Davis Into a Whirlpool While Tormenting Lakers

3. Lakers miss Jarred Vanderbilt

‘Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles’. Sir Alex Ferguson once said this about soccer, but the same holds for almost any team sport. The Los Angeles Lakers, who came into this game on the back of a 3-0 run in the In-Season Tournament, were only one piece short in their roster. Unfortunately for them, that piece was ace defender Jarred Vanderbilt. After missing the first 20 games of the season due to injury, Vanderbilt’s presence in the squad helped them massively restrict opposing teams in their run into the NBA Cup.

Unfortunately, The Vandolorian missed out on the game against the Mavericks due to a back issue. This allowed the Dallas side to exploit holes in the Lakers’ defense, and more importantly, allowed Luka Doncic to get his free-flowing passing game on. Fans were left ruing his miss, as they recalled his lockdown defense on the Slovenian in a previous encounter between the two sides.

If the Lakers are to have any more success this season, it is vital that Vanderbilt stays healthy and provides the defensive anchor for the team.

What do you make of the Mavs-Lakers game? Did any other player stand out to you? Let us know in the comments below.

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