Stats Rundown: 3 numbers from the Lakers dominant victory over the Mavericks

The Mavericks may have been the team in green, but the Lakers were the Grinch that stole Christmas from Dallas fans.

Los Angeles cruised to a 138-115 victory in Dallas’s first Christmas Day game since they were defending champions. The absence of Kristaps Porzingis was greatly felt, as Anthony Davis feasted for 28 points. Luka Doncic had a decent game at 27 points, seven assists and four rebounds, but it wasn’t nearly enough. A deeper look into the box score shows us just how out of reach this game was.

+35: The second-chance points advantage for the Lakers

For the first time since Feb. 7, 2017, the Mavericks finished a game with zero second-chance points. Dallas got completely outworked by the Lakers, who finished plus-27 in rebounding margin. Nine of the 14 Lakers who played finished with at least one offensive rebound. Only three Mavericks finished with an offensive rebound. The plus-35 advantage in second-chance points is the largest the NBA has seen in at least 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Info. It was a complete masterclass on the glass by Los Angeles.

144.6: The Lakers’ offensive rating when Anthony Davis was on the floor

Davis was simply unstoppable. His ability to hit a variety of shots in combination with his athleticism makes him difficult for anyone in the league to guard, but the Mavericks truly had no option for him. His impact was even more profound when he was on the court with Montrezl Harrell, who scored 22 points. In the 11 minutes Harrell and Davis were on the court together, the Lakers had an offensive efficiency of 172.7 (NBA.com/Stats). Until the Mavericks get Porzingis back, guarding teams this big may present a difficult challenge.

13: Total steals for the Mavericks

The team that just gave up 138 points also just had a historically good night creating turnovers. 13 steals is the most the Mavericks have had in a game since Dec. 12, 2018, when they also had 13 against the Atlanta Hawks. Dallas capitalized by shooting the passing lanes rather than creating on-ball turnovers. Dorian Finney-Smith and Dwight Powell finished with three steals each tonight. Three other Mavericks had two steals, and James Johnson finished with one.

Here’s the postgame podcast, Mavs Moneyball After Dark. If you can’t see the embed below “More from Mavs Moneyball”, click here. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe by searching “Mavs Moneyball podcast” into your favorite podcast app.