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Lakers get a weak preview
Los Angeles Times
|April 07, 2026
James' heroics aren't enough as club loses to start stretch with Doncic, Reaves out.
LEBRON JAMES was just short of a triple-double in a loss to Dallas.
(LM OTERO Associated Press)
The Lakers are as shorthanded as they can be, their dynamic starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries at a pivotal time of the season.
They're the offensive engines for a Lakers team battling for the No. 3 playoff seeding in a competitive Western Conference.
The 41-year-old LeBron James is now driving the Lakers, and despite falling just a rebound shy of a triple-double, he couldn't save the Lakers from a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at American Airlines Center.
James had 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds.
Luke Kennard delivered his first career triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.
Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, coming off a 51-point performance against Orlando on Friday, finished with 45 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. He scored 19 points in the first quarter.
"Obviously, Cooper is in a zone over the last couple of games," James said. "But [he] also has been playing consistent basketball all year so it’s great to see him from early in the season to where he is today."
This story is from the April 07, 2026 edition of Los Angeles Times.
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