Thomas solid in Lakers debut, but Mavericks pull it out late
Isaiah Thomas used his crossover dribble to create an open three-pointer that helped his new team build a doubledigit lead in the first half.
The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t stay in front in the diminutive guard’s debut following his ill-fated stint in Cleveland. Still, there was plenty of evidence that Thomas can be the scorer he was in Boston.
Dirk Nowitzki had a seasonhigh 22 points, Harrison Barnes added 21 and the last-place Dallas Mavericks rallied at home to beat the Lakers 130-123 on Saturday night.
Thomas finished with 22 points and already looks like a better fit in coach Luke Walton’s offense following the deadline deal that brought him from the Cavaliers, who acquired him last summer in the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics.
“Obviously we couldn’t run a ton of stuff because he has been with us for one day, but he was good,” Walton said. “You can see his competitive spirit come out a little bit. He was scrapping and knocking down shots.”
Thomas’ first half with the Lakers was his highest-scoring half of the season, a team-high 16 points. Thomas, who was part of a four-player deal at the trading deadline that also brought Channing Frye, missed the first 36 games recovering from a hip injury.
“I like the pace of this team,” he said. “I like the energy the guys bring. Coach did the best job he could to put me in position to play to my strengths with only knowing a couple plays.”
Doug McDermott had eight points in his Dallas debut following a deadline deal that brought him from New York and was part of a youthful closing lineup that outscored the Lakers 13-5 in the final 3:09.
Nowitzki, Barnes and starting guard Wesley Matthews all sat in the last three minutes, and rookie guard Dennis Smith Jr. put Dallas ahead for good at 119-118 on a layup. Smith finished with 14 points, and the Mavericks had a season high in points.
Thomas was out there late for the Lakers, who had a season-best four-game winning streak stopped for the third time in a month.
“I love winning, you know that,” said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, who used a young lineup that struggled late in a loss at the LA Clippers with a chance to win five nights earlier. “The Clipper game was not good. Tonight was obviously much better.”
Julius Randle had 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma had 12 points and 15 rebounds.
Pelicans 138, Nets 128: Anthony Davis had 44 points and 17 rebounds, Rajon Rondo had a triple-double, and visiting New Orleans recovered after blowing a 28-point lead to beat Brooklyn in double overtime. Rondo finished with 25 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as the Pelicans snapped a three-game losing streak. Nikola Mirotic had 21 points and 16 boards, and Jrue Holiday chipped in 22 points. Cal alumnus Allen Crabbe made eight three-pointers and scored 28 points for the Nets, who have lost their past four games.
Bucks 111, Magic 104: Giannis Antetokounpo had 32 points and Jason Terry came off the bench to score 11 points in the second half for visiting Milwaukee. A couple of three-pointers by the 40-year-old Terry put the Bucks ahead to stay late in the third quarter, although the game stayed close until Antetokounpo’s three-point play made it 107-100 with 45.7 seconds left. Mario Hezonja led Orlando with 23 points.
Wizards 101, Bulls 90: Tomas Satoransky scored a career-high 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting for visiting Washington, but his career night was cut short: He fell hard to the court and hit his head after being fouled with 2½ minutes left in the game. He was taken to the locker room bleeding from the right temple. Otto Porter Jr. and Mike Scott had 15 points apiece as the Wizards won for the sixth time in seven games. Justin Holiday had 15 points for Chicago, which has dropped eight of nine.
Nuggets 123, Suns 113: Wilson Chandler scored 26 points, Will Barton had 25 points and visiting Denver used an extended second-half run to take control. Nikola Jokic had 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Gary Harris had 13 points for the Nuggets, who have won four of five. TJ Warren had 31 points and Dragan Bender had a career-high 23 for the Suns, who have lost five in a row. Barton scored 11 points during a 21-9 run that gave the Nuggets a 94-89 lead after three quarters.
76ers 112, Clippers 98: Joel Embiid had 29 points and tied a career high with 16 rebounds, and host Philadelphia won its third straight game. Los Angeles got within 95-93 with 5 minutes left, but a tough shot by T.J. McConnell in the paint and J.J. Redick’s three-pointer were part on an 8-0 spurt that sealed it. The Sixers ended the game on a 17-5 run. Former Sixers guard Lou Williams led the Clippers with 23 points.