The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 121-94 defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in Wednesday’s preseason matchup at T-Mobile Arena. Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 18 points and nine rebounds, while the Lakers saw strong early contributions from Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared his thoughts in a postgame press conference, highlighting the team’s strong first-half performance. “I thought we ran really well. Jaxson did a great job of putting pressure on the rim. Vando ended up with six defensive rebounds in that first half, and every time he got it and pushed it, it created a level of pace,” Redick said.

Despite the early momentum, Dallas erased a 13-point halftime deficit and took the lead in the third quarter. Redick attributed the collapse to a lack of toughness and the challenge of running the second and third units against Dallas’ roster. “A level of toughness wasn’t there tonight. It’s a lot to ask that group to generate good shots. That’s just the reality of who those guys are right now,” he explained.

Redick praised Vincent for his performance, noting the guard’s versatility and on-ball impact. Vincent scored 22 points in the first half, including five triples in under four minutes, before sitting out after intermission. “He’s been fantastic as an on-ball guy. His movement in early offense and half-court has been really good,” Redick said.

Rui Hachimura also stood out with 19 points in 31 minutes, while Jaxson Hayes contributed a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Redick emphasized the importance of their improved pace and playmaking. “He can be a really impactful guy on both ends. You can clearly see he’s spent a lot of time working on his game this summer,” Redick noted.

The Lakers faced challenges in the paint, allowing 60 points to Dallas compared to 34 of their own. The Mavericks also forced 17 turnovers while committing only eight, helping fuel their fourth-quarter surge. Redick indicated that resting 11 players, including LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Bronny James, contributed to the lopsided final quarter.

Looking ahead, Redick said the Lakers plan to treat Friday’s final preseason game as a dress rehearsal. Key players like Luka Doncic will see increased minutes, and the rotation will more closely resemble regular-season rotations. “We’ll get those guys some normal rotation run through the early parts of the fourth,” Redick said.