Anthony Davis had previously done the job well (26 points, 10 rebounds) in the absence of LeBron James. But it only took seven nightmarish seconds – the last – to see the LA Lakers let go, on the night of Friday to Saturday, a meeting they had firmly in hand and concede a third loss in four games which could be very damaging in the race for the final stages with eleven games remaining from the regular season buzzer.
The buzzer is precisely the moment chosen by the German interior of Dallas Maxi Kleber, served on the contrary on a superb reversal of the game of Kyrie Irving, to crucify the Angelenos at 3 points (111-110) in their lair at the bell, leaving LeBron James dazed in the gallery. After his recital (38 points), and especially without Luka Doncic, injured, everyone was waiting for Irving, back after three games away, shooting on the last possession.
The former Brooklyn scorer had the intelligence to look for his inside who, a moment earlier, had already caused a foul from Davis on a 3-point shot and converted his three free throws, he who was only turning 58 % this season in the exercise, to allow the Mavericks to pick up (from 105-109 to 108-109 with 7 seconds remaining). Davis had in the process missed one of his two repair shots, digging the mouse hole in which engulfed Dallas. Kleber had just scored six of his ten points of the evening in a flash.
Golden State can’t do it outside anymore
This result drags the Lakers to the edge of the play-in limit (10th, 34-37 with Utah, 33-36, and New Orleans, 33-37 to the Basques). After its snatch victory in San Antonio (137-128 ap), Dallas continues its side a second success and climbs to sixth place (36-35), tied with Golden State, which lost in Atlanta (119-127).
10
The Warriors chained in Atlanta a tenth consecutive defeat away from home, a record of only 7 wins in 35 matches
It was Trae Young (25 points, 12 assists) who signed the decisive action by stealing, in the last minute, the ball from the hands of Stephen Curry, the match still in the balance (119-123) then going to register the decisive lay-up. The new beautiful evening of the leader of the Warriors (31 points), like that of Kevon Looney (18 points, 16 rebounds), were not enough to stem the current problem of his Warriors. The defending champions, who played without Draymond Green, suspended for his sixteenth technical foul of the year conceded in the previous game against the LA Clippers (126-134 despite 50 points from Curry), cannot do it outside. and have just suffered a tenth defeat in a row away from their base.