LeBron James’ 30 points can’t save injury-plagued Lakers from loss

DALLAS- The Lakers are as shorthanded as possible, with their dynamic starting backcourt of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves injured at a pivotal point in the season.

They are the offensive engines of a Lakers team that is fighting for the third playoff spot in a competitive Western Conference.

LeBron James, 41, now leads the Lakers, and even though he fell just one rebound short of a triple-double, he couldn’t save the Lakers from a 134-128 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday at the American Airlines Center.

James had 30 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds. Luke Kennard recorded his first career triple-double with 15 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists.

Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg, after 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 the last couple of games,” James said. “But [he] He’s also played consistent basketball all year, so it’s great to see him from the start of the season to where he is today.

For the Lakers, finding a way to win without two of their best players will be their challenge in the final week of the season.

“We have to have the commitment to do it on both ends and that’s the reason we put ourselves in a position to make the playoffs,” Redick said, “because we’ve become a very good offensive team and a very good defensive team.”

Doncic has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and will be out for the remainder of the regular season – perhaps even longer.

Doncic’s agent, Bill Duffy of WME Sports, confirmed to the Times that his client will seek specialized treatment for his injury in Europe in hopes of speeding his recovery.

Reaves was diagnosed with a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury and will be out for the remainder of the regular season, and likely the playoffs. The time frame for Reaves’ return is more likely four to six weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak on the subject.

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, left, confronts Lakers guard Bronny James during the second half on Sunday.

(LM Otero / Associated Press)

“I took my nap after practice and woke up to this news and it was like another shot in the [head]”James said of Reaves’ diagnosis. “It was a blow to the heart, obviously, and to the chest and to the mainframe with Luka, understanding that.”

Even Marcus Smart, known for his competitiveness and defensive tenacity, missed his seventh straight game with right ankle soreness.

With Doncic and Reaves out, the Lakers are losing a combined 56.8 points per game and 13.8 assists per game. Doncic is fourth in the NBA in assists, with 8.3 per game, and he is second on the Lakers in rebounds, with 7.7 per game.

“We knew Austin was probably going to be out for a little while,” Redick said. “Obviously, I’m disappointed and devastated for him to see his regular season end this way. … Both of these guys are going to try to come back and it’s our job to extend the season so they can come back.”

The Lakers have four regular season games remaining, starting with Oklahoma City on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. They play at Golden State on Thursday before facing the Phoenix Suns in Los Angeles on Friday.

The Lakers are tied with the Denver Nuggets for third in the West at 50-28, although the Lakers hold the tiebreaker. The NBA playoffs begin the weekend of April 18.

With that in mind, Redick was asked if he had an optimistic view of Doncic returning for the playoffs.

“I just know he’s going to do everything he can to try to come back,” Redick said. “I talked to him Friday. I talked to him again yesterday. I talked to him again this morning. He’s going to go through all the things necessary to come back at some point, and it’s still our job to extend the season so those two guys can come back.”