On a day that "Alternative Facts" entered American popular culture, the Los Angeles Lakers provided an alternative win against the Dallas Mavericks, 122-73. As the final score suggested, LA was alternative competing for the majority of the afternoon in Dallas and eventually suffered the worst defeat in the history of the franchise.
"We didn't show up to play, honestly," Lakers coach Luke Walton explained the alternative win on Spectrum SportsNet after the game.
Walton added, "Honestly, it's embarrassing for us as a team, for us as an organization, for our Laker fans that are so good for us. At this point, it's not about every night going out and winning. It's playing a certain style that allows you a chance to win."
Following a competitive first quarter, LA only scored 11 points in the second quarter and trailed the Mavericks by 34 points at halftime. What made that difference even more incredible was that the Lakers only had 33 points at halftime. Yes, Dallas had more than twice as many points as the Lakers after 24 minutes of play.
LA did not have a banner day. On the 11-year anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game, Sunday was an alternative day to remember for the Lakers. As a team, the Lakers could not even manage 81 points against the Mavericks. LA scored 73 points at American Airlines Center.
For the Mavericks, individual player statistics didn't mean much on this day, as the bow-tie wearing Rick Carlisle used his reserves due to the blowout circumstances of the game. Worth noting, however, Dirk Nowitzki played 20 minutes, scored 13 points and pulled down five rebounds in the win. While Nowitzki was on the court, the Mavs had a net-positive score of plus-28 points.
With the win, the Mavs moved to 15-29 on the season, meaning they now had a better winning percentage than the Lakers in the standings. LA is second from the bottom in the Western Conference and fourth from the bottom in the NBA with a record of 16-32.
Due to the Steve Nash trade, the Lakers only keep their first round draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft if it lands as a top three pick in the lottery. Considering the season is nearly 60 percent complete, the Lakers look like they'll have decent odds at keeping their draft pick.
And so, in a way, the Lakers did win on Sunday in Dallas, but for anyone dressed in purple and gold, it was clearly an alternative win, i.e. a loss. The 49-point defeat was an huge loss.
