Adding to the list of embarrassing losses this season, the Lakers fell 118-97 on Tuesday to a Mavs team without Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving. After the purple and gold embarked on this quick two-game road trip, winning eight of 11 games, they dropped both contests in Texas.

The Lakers’ big three struggled overall on the night, as the trio of Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Austin Reaves combined to shoot 18-for-43 from the field.

Davis finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. LeBron James scored 18 points as well as 10 rebounds and eight assists. Austin Reaves struggled the most, scoring 15 points on 5-14 shooting.

Max Christie scored 12 points on 5-9 shooting. Dorian Finney-Smith scored 11 points off the bench in a 3-4 win from behind the arc. Dalton Knecht was the only other player to come off the bench and score 13 points.

Dallas fired from three all night long and finished 18-38 from the range.

The Mavericks took an early 7-3 lead after PJ Washington and former Laker Spencer Dinwiddie scored for Dallas. The Lakers responded with a 7-0 victory that included an incredibly explosive dunk from LeBron that energized the arena.

At the first timeout, LA was up by one. Rui scored a layup to give the Lakers a three-point lead. After a few missed shots

AD contributed to the scoring with a spin into a layup that resulted in an and-1. As the quarter came to a close, LA was still leading.

The Mavericks were missing Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, so they relied on a next-man-up mentality. Quentin Grimes scored eight points off the bench and tied the game with a three-pointer. LeBron responded with a 3-pointer to put the Lakers ahead by three at the end of the first period.

The second quarter began with a 3-pointer from Maxi Kleber. Dalton Knecht, who went scoreless in the last game, scored his first points with a mid-range shot. Dallas’ offense began to heat up and after a three-pointer from Grimes, they retook the lead.

Los Angeles was cold from the field, managing only one of its first six shot attempts in the quarter. Jaxson Hayes picked up his third foul, putting him in a familiar situation with foul trouble. Coach JJ Redick took a risk and left him in the game, only for him to pick up his fourth foul almost immediately.

Dallas maintained the lead, but LA was still close behind because the Mavericks didn’t dominate. Max scored nine points for LA in the second quarter, including a 3-pointer and a dunk that helped the Lakers extend their lead.

Klay Thompson scored nine straight points, starting a scoring run. The Mavericks had a lead of three, but an embarrassing defensive breakdown allowed Dinwiddie to score an easy dunk that put Dallas ahead by five at halftime with an 11-0 winning run.

Dallas’ Dereck Lively II scored the first basket to start the second half. The undermanned Mavericks outplayed LA and quickly increased their lead. LeBron was the only Laker to score with four points until Max scored with an And-1. Lively picked up his fourth foul, putting him in foul trouble for Dallas.

Dorian shot a three-pointer, bringing the deficit to single digits. The Lakers started sloppy but stepped up their defense. They slowly got closer and after a dunk from AD, the Mavericks called a timeout, reducing the deficit to 71-66.

Jaden Hardy hit three straight 3-pointers for Dallas after the timeout, stopping the momentum Los Angeles had created. Grimes converted a three-pointer on the next possession to put the Mavericks back ahead by 15 points.

Defensive failures have hurt the Lakers tremendously. The Mavericks looked easy and converted. At the end of the third period, the Purple and Gold were down by 13.

The final frame began with Gabe Vincent missing a three-pointer. Dalton scored with a mid-range shot. Dorian hit a three-pointer to help keep the Lakers alive. Dalton then dropped a 3-pointer. Dallas also scored, so it became a back-and-forth affair early on. Dalton hit another three-pointer, bringing the Lakers closer together.

Dallas continued to have the answer, extending its lead back to double digits with 6:23 left. They shot 47% from behind the arc because the Lakers kept giving up on defense, which gave them a lot of open views.

Grimes was wide open again and knocked down his fifth three-pointer of the game. With three minutes left, LA tried to mount a comeback but failed and waved the white flag.

Key Takeaways:

LA’s defensive failures were a big factor in why the undermanned Mavericks had so much life in this game. The Mavericks shouldn’t have been able to hit so many threes and have so many open opportunities.

Jaxson needs to be more careful about fouls. He can’t get into foul trouble every single game. This also underscores Los Angeles’ need for a center it can rely on.

They weren’t particularly bad at losing the ball, and that was the only positive they could take from this disappointing loss.

The Lakers’ next game is Thursday at 7:30 p.m. PT against the Charlotte Hornets.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.