The Los Angeles Lakers clawed back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, and LeBron James believes the comeback could mark the start of a larger surge.
The Jan. 24 matchup at American Airlines Center in Dallas saw the Lakers tighten their fourth-quarter defense to secure one of their strongest victories of the season. Luka Dončić paced Dallas, but Los Angeles countered with key performances from James, Jake LaRavia, Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura to seal the win.
Saturday’s result kept the Lakers in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, half a game ahead of the Phoenix Suns and half a game behind the Houston Rockets. Los Angeles has now won three of its last four contests, including a comfortable victory over the Toronto Raptors—currently the No. 4 seed in the East—and a gritty win against a short-handed Denver Nuggets squad.
“That’s the unknown, but that’s what you hope for, obviously,” James said when asked whether the Lakers are gaining momentum. “We’ve got to now prepare ourselves for Chicago, so we have to keep this road trip going.”
The Lakers have five games left on their current trip: the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets. The stretch features three opponents with losing records and two playoff-caliber tests, a span that could heavily influence the team’s position heading into the season’s final months and shape any potential trade-deadline decisions.
Asked about possible roster moves before the Feb. deadline, James declined to comment, calling such discussion disrespectful to current teammates. Instead, he pointed to ongoing injury issues—highlighting Austin Reaves’ absence—as the primary hurdle to consistency so far this year.
The Lakers return to Los Angeles after the five-game swing, hoping the recent string of determined performances translates into long-term success.
Source: Lakers Nation
