LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Dallas Mavericks for the second consecutive time, losing 101-98 at Staples Center on Thursday, December 29.

Julius Randle had 18 points and grabbed four rebounds and three assists. Nick Young scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers. D’Angelo Russell contributed 15 points, four rebounds and six assists while Jordan Clarkson added 15 points off the bench.

Lakers coach Luke Walton expressed disappointment in his team’s performance, but remained confident in their talent after the game.

“It’s disappointing to see we had the same type of result again in a similar game in what we’ve seen the last week or two,” Walton said. “I’m still confident our group is going to get it. Unfortunately, it seems like we’re going to have to take a lot of lumps before it really kicks in.”

Wesley Mathews led the Mavericks with 20 points, six rebounds and two assists. Harrison Barnes had 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Dwight Powell and Devon Harris contributed 14 points each off the bench.

Dallas snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory, moving to 10-23 overall. The Mavericks will face the NBA-best Golden State Warriors on Friday, December 30.

The Lakers have lost eight of their last 10 games, falling to 12-24 on the season after a promising 10-10 start. Los Angles will host the Toronto Raptors in a New Years Day matchup on Sunday, January 1, 2017.