Jason Kidd likes to describe his two best players in football terms. For the Dallas Mavericks coach, Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving are “quarterbacks.”

With both signal callers missing time over the past two weeks, Dallas’ offense has struggled. The Mavericks averaged 105.9 points per 100 possessions after Christmas, the fourth-worst mark in the NBA.

On Tuesday, the Mavericks finally had a strong scoring performance without their QBs in the lineup. In a 118-97 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, they shot 52.3 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from three.

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Dallas hit 18 3-pointers and ended a five-game losing streak, its longest since Kidd took over as coach in 2021.

“A lot of people touched the ball,” Kidd said. “We didn’t come to an agreement. The offense was really good.”

In Monday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Kidd started with Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, Maxi Kleber, PJ Washington and Dereck Lively II. Kidd adjusted on Tuesday, opting to trade Spencer Dinwiddie in Kleber’s place. The addition of an additional ball handler allowed Dallas to put more pressure on the defense.

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“We were downhill,” said Washington, who scored 22 points. “We put people in the pick-and-roll that we wanted to put in the pick-and-roll. We took good shots.”

Lakers guard Austin Reaves and rookie wing Dalton Knecht were two of the players the Mavericks had targeted. Towards the end of the first half, Thompson pulled Reaves into a screening move. Thompson reached beyond the 3-point arc and knocked down a shot off a pass from Dinwiddie, all part of an 11-0 run for Dallas to close the half.

Thompson was one of four Dallas players to make at least three 3-pointers. Washington reached that mark, as did third-year guard Jaden Hardy. Quentin Grimes made six 3-pointers, his most in a game since becoming a Maverick.

Grimes finished the game with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. The 24-year-old Houston native is in the midst of a strong first season in Dallas. His hot shooting night against the Lakers took him from third on the year to over 40 percent.

With his ability to catch and shoot, Grimes fits alongside Dallas’ superstars. But over the last week, he’s shown that he can perform even when Dončić and Irving aren’t giving him open looks. In last week’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he scored 26 points – 20 of them in the third quarter alone.

Grimes’ shot off the dribble gives him an added dimension compared to the typical 3-and-D role player. This season, he actually shoots better on pull-up threes (44.4 percent) than he does on catch-and-shoot threes (37.3 percent). Three of the triples he hit against the Lakers were spontaneous.

“In high school I was mostly (point guard),” Grimes said. “At U of H (University of Houston), (I) was the main ball handler. I definitely feel comfortable with everything. I know that with Luka and Kyrie I can create more space on the pitch. It makes it easier for me to drive and play closeouts. … I will do everything I can to help the team win.”

In June, the Mavericks sent Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons to acquire Grimes. The Mavericks did not agree to a contract extension with Grimes before the start of the season, meaning he will enter restricted free agency this summer.

The four-year, $54 million contract Corey Kispert signed with the Washington Wizards the day before the start of the regular season is a useful comparison for what Grimes could command. Kispert was taken 10 spots ahead of Grimes in the 2021 draft. Kispert has shot 38.3 percent from 3 on 5.2 attempts per game for his career. Those are nearly identical numbers to what Grimes posted (37.6 percent on 4.9 attempts).

Grimes fits in perfectly with high-usage players like Dončić and Irving. There are also signs that he can grow in his role. He scored nearly half of Dallas’ 50 bench points on Tuesday, which was also his third straight game with six assists.

“It’s just a great opportunity for me, knowing we won’t have Luka for a while,” Grimes said. “And then Kyrie is out. I know that offensively I will have the opportunity to play for myself and for my teammates.”

LeBron James (23) is defended by Quentin Grimes (5) and Klay Thompson during the first half of the Lakers-Mavericks game on Tuesday. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

With the win, Dallas climbed back to fifth place in the Western Conference. The Mavericks have 12 games left in January. It’s possible Dončić won’t play in any of them. Even if Irving can come back from his injury quickly, the Mavericks will need other players to step up and be offensive players.

Grimes is one of the players capable of doing that.

“With two superstars out, I definitely have more opportunities to be aggressive,” Grimes said.

(Top photo: Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images)