Marc Gasol emerged with his best inside game that helped the Los Angeles Lakers win this Friday by beating the Dallas Mavericks 138-115 in the fourth game of the traditional NBA Christmas Day game.
Gasol, who had a forgotten debut as a pivot with his new Lakers team, in the opening game against the Los Angeles Clippers, against the Mavericks showed all the power he possesses within the paint and contributed nine rebounds, including seven defenders that left him second best of the team in that section of the game.
Only Lakers star forward LeBron James, who finished the game as a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double, beat Gasol inside the paint.
But above all, the Sant Boi player, this time, had no personal problems and the Lakers coach, Frank Vogel, gave him 20 minutes of action, in which he also got his first points with the Los Angeles team.
He did it in the third period with two personnel shots, while in the field he had an attempt that failed, the one he made from outside the perimeter in the first quarter of the game played at the Staples Center.
Gasol’s contribution, which did not come out throughout the fourth period, allowed the Lakers, current NBA champions, to get their first win of the new season and leave their 1-1 mark.
While the Slovenian guard Luka Doncic remained the undisputed leader of the Mavericks by contributing 27 points, seven assists and four rebounds – all defensive – but his individual effort was once again unrewarded against an opponent who was far superior in all facets of the game.
The former Real Madrid player played 34 minutes, including the full 12 in the first quarter, and scored 9 of 19 shots from the field, including 2 of 5 triples, in addition to hitting 7 of 8 from the personnel line.
The Mavericks with their defeat put the mark at 0-2 since the new season began last Tuesday, after they also lost on the road to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday (106-102).
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