The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 109-104 at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday to secure their second straight win.

Luka Doncic missed 12 field goal (FG) attempts, including all five from downtown, but he still managed to score a team-high 25 points. During the last five minutes of the game, Doncic made two FG shots, one free throw and assisted Dwight Powell on an alley-oop, extending the lead from one (101-100) to five (109-104) points.

"We stayed together and just executed the game plan, played the game," Doncic said. "My mentality is to close the game with the best shot possible. We executed down the stretch."

Jalen Brunson, Dorian Fenny-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie shot a combined 9-for-18 from the 3-point line for the Mavericks. The Lakers couldn't afford to close in around the rim facing such an offensive threat from outside. As a result, they allowed 60 points in the paint, led by 16 from Doncic.

The Mavericks established a 21-point lead in the second quarter, but soon blew it by shooting 1-for-9 in triples and 1-for-12 in FGs in the third quarter. Moreover, their scoring drought came as the Lakers suddenly got hot enough to drain seven of their 12 3-point attempts.

As a result, the purple and gold went back on top (87-85) before the fourth quarter.

"At halftime we told them, 'They're coming. LeBron is coming,'" Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. "In the third quarter, LeBron put on a show, but we didn't lose our composure. That's one of the things we've gotten better at, and in the fourth quarter we got back to what we've done at Golden State. We held them to 17 points, and that's pretty good."

James made three triples in the third quarter, each from farther away than previous shot. However, at the age of 37, he doesn't have enough strength to dominate the floor for all four quarters anymore. His jumpers in the fourth quarter began to fall short and he committed two turnovers when every shot mattered.

Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony were still the best help James could get, shooting a combined 6-for-12 from the 3-point line. Stanley Johnson was the biggest surprise for the purple and gold on Tuesday night with three triples. Nonetheless, as the team's other franchise player, Russell Westbrook was in his worst shooting form this season, missing 12 of his 17 shots. He performed well in rebounding (six), assists (eight with no turnovers) and even on defense (two steals and one block), but failed to knock down open shots.

"We still have games to play," James said after the game. "Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, I've got a chance. So that's my confidence. We've got to come here and win ballgames and play better, but as long as we've got ballgames to play, we've got a chance."

Tuesday's loss should be a warning for Warriors

The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Golden State Warriors 129-114 at Target Center on Tuesday to get their second win in a row.

Karl-Anthony Towns couldn't have been more dominant with a 39-point, nine-rebound game for the Timberwolves. D'Angelo Russell and Patrick Beverley combined for 14 assists. Malik Beasley shot 6-for-9 at the 3-point line to contribute 20 points off the bench.

"You're playing the Golden State Warriors, you know how everyone feels about that. You wake up with a different energy and a different vibe," Towns said.

"Feed him, feed him, feed him," Russell said. "If you run out of food, feed him the fork."

This was the Warriors' sixth loss in the past eight games. Their ace Stephen Curry scored 34 points on Tuesday, but it wasn't enough to help his team win the game. Shooting 5-for-16 from downtown was not his best performance, but his aggressiveness helped him step to the free throw line nine times.

However, the Timberwolves punched the Warriors in the two spots that hurt the most. First, the Warriors' only answer to Towns was Kevon Looney. Second, when the Warriors couldn't stretch the floor, their give-and-go offense made them sitting ducks in front of the Timberwolves' aggressive defense.

"We're going to be fine long-term. I'm excited about our team and excited about where we can go, but we've just got to weather this storm," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.

One long-term reminder for Kerr's team is that they are still six games behind from the leading Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference, but only half a game ahead of the third-place Memphis Grizzlies.

Other games on Tuesday (away teams come first):

Detroit Pistons 113-116 Washington Wizards

Atlanta Hawks 98-107 Boston Celtics

Brooklyn Nets 108-109 Toronto Raptors

Los Angeles Clippers 113-100 Houston Rockets