LeBron James etched his name in history with a record-breaking triple-double, powering the Lakers' second-half surge past a depleted Mavericks squad.
LOS ANGELES — The Dallas Mavericks managed to keep it tight for a half. They didn’t have the bodies to sustain it.
LeBron James delivered 28 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists Thursday night, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a triple-double and guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to a 124-104 victory over the short-handed Mavericks.
At 41 years, 44 days, James eclipsed Karl Malone’s mark for the oldest triple-double in league history. It was his first of the season.
The Lakers (33-21) won their third straight and entered the All-Star break on solid footing in the Western Conference. Dallas (19-35) limped into the week off with its ninth consecutive loss, its longest skid since a 15-game slide during the 1997-98 season. The Mavericks fell to 5-19 on the road.
For 24 minutes, the gap between the teams was narrow.
Los Angeles opened fast, with James scoring 14 points in the first quarter and pushing the Lakers to a 36-31 lead behind transition baskets and early interior touches. The Lakers shot 56% in the period and briefly nudged the margin into double digits.
Dallas answered with pace of its own.
Naji Marshall attacked downhill repeatedly in the second quarter, forcing switches and drawing contact. Max Christie spaced the floor, and P.J. Washington converted from the free-throw line. The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 32-28 in the second and trailed just 64-63 at halftime.
“I think that was my only mindset was how can we go into the break on a high note,” James said afterward.
He pointed to Dallas’ effort despite a depleted roster.
“Obviously, that team is, you don’t know what, no matter who's out on the floor for them. They [are] well coached and they [are] gonna play hard. They did that for the majority of the game tonight, but [I] just tried to set the tone and end the first half of the season on a high note.”
The tone changed quickly after intermission.
Los Angeles tightened its defensive rotations and closed off the driving lanes that fueled Dallas’ first-half rhythm. The Lakers opened the third quarter with sharper point-of-attack pressure and cleaner help coverage, turning missed shots into quick offense the other way.
The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 32-19 in the third, stretching a one-point halftime edge to 96-82 entering the fourth.
“Just challenge the guys to be better defensively,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the halftime adjustment.
“The stuff we talked about before the game, partially just the individual pride on the ball, our low-man, our shell principles, they weren't sharp in the first half. We went away from it, the zone, when [Klay] Thompson was on the floor. For the most part in the first half, did a nice job to start the third. 41 points in the second half, I thought we definitely picked it up defensively.”
Dallas’ margin for error disappeared as the quarter unfolded.
Already without Kyrie Irving (knee), Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Caleb Martin (ankle) and Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain), the Mavericks lost Marshall to a left foot strain and Daniel Gafford to right ankle soreness in the second half. Neither returned.
Without their most physical wing and primary interior presence, the Mavericks struggled on the glass. The Lakers won the rebounding battle 44-28 and grabbed 10 offensive boards. Los Angeles assisted on 35 of its 48 field goals and shot 56% overall.
Brandon Williams finished with 17 points and seven assists for Dallas. Marshall scored 19 before exiting, Christie added 19 and Washington had 18.
“Ultimately they just picked up their intensity on both sides of the floor,” Williams said. “They were a little more aggressive on both sides of the floor and we just didn’t match it.”
James entered the fourth quarter with 22 points and 12 assists already secured. He collected his 10th rebound with just over two minutes remaining, punctuating a performance that blended pace control with efficient scoring.
“It’s pretty impressive,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “He’s playing the game at a high level. At the age of 41 to put up a triple-double is really amazing. It just shows for someone that’s taking care of his body and mind up to this point he’s playing the game the right way at a high level.”
James brushed aside the historical framing.
“The win, that’s the most important,” he said. “And to be able to do it and get the win, that means more to me than anything.”
He acknowledged that perspective shifts with time.
“I’m definitely, I guess, more appreciative of moments like this in my career. Understanding where I’m at, at the later stage of my journey. So, [I’m] definitely taking it in a little bit more.”
The break arrives at a necessary moment for Dallas, which has navigated injuries and shifting roles for much of the season. The Mavericks resume play Feb. 20 at Minnesota to begin a three-game road trip.
“I think one, is we just have to get healthy,” Kidd said. “It’s just a lot of injuries and hopefully we can come out of this break healthy and ready to go.”
For now, the standings offer little relief. The skid is nine games deep, and the climb steepens.