When the Dallas Mavericks signed Naji Marshall to a three-year, $27 million contract in the offseason, they expected him to bring intensity.
And he did just that on Tuesday, going right after LeBron James in a road game versus the Los Angeles Lakers.
The fifth-year forward bumped the legend and scored a layup right over him in the second quarter. Marshall was not satisfied with just getting the bucket, though.
He hit James with the “too small” gesture, displaying stunning confidence in the face of an all-time great. Ultimately, however, the bold mentality did not translate to a win.
Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double against his former team and James scored 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, as the Lakers toppled the Mavericks, 107-99. Kyrie Irving dropped 35 points and Klay Thompson added another 22 (each player made five 3-pointers), but the undermanned squad could not handle LA inside.
Marshall, who finished with nine points, five rebounds, two steals and one block in 24 minutes, did not rattle his opponent the way he hoped.
Mavericks were gritty but slide down in the standings
LeBron James was especially lethal in the fourth quarter, knocking down one clutch basket after another to halt Dallas’ momentum.
He broke two ties and imposed his will in the paint area to clinch the W. His chemistry with Doncic was on point late, something that must have been painful for Mavs fans to witness.
There are positives that Irving, Marshall and the rest of the team can take from the hard-fought game, though. Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and Caleb Martin were all sidelined for this matchup, and Dante Exum exited to the locker room during the action after absorbing a hard blow to the face and body from James.
And despite all the adversity, the Mavericks had an opportunity to snatch a victory from the Lakers’ grasp.
They will be dangerous when healthy. But they need to string wins together.
Dallas is 31-28 after losing its last two contests and now sits in ninth place in the Western Conference. The team might want to refrain from gamesmanship until it gets back on track. Luckily, it faces the lowly Charlotte Hornets (14-43) on Thursday night in American Airlines Center.
