Game Preview: Lakers vs. Dallas
The Lakers will play the Dallas Mavericks for their fourth and final time of the season on Friday in their first game of a back-to-back.
The Lakers, who have the best record in the Western Conference at 30-7, have won six games in a row. The Mavericks (23-14) are in sixth place.
The Mavericks will be without Kristaps Porzingis, who has missed five-straight games with right knee soreness.
The Lakers could be missing a superstar (or two) themselves.
Anthony Davis (gluteus maximus contusion) is questionable after sustaining a hard fall on Tuesday against the New York Knicks. Avery Bradley (fever) is also questionable.
LeBron James (flu-like symptoms) is probable. He has been struggling with the illness for a few days and was a game-time decision Tuesday. He went on to finish with 31 points, five rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes against the Knicks.
The Lakers will need to focus on containing Luka Doncic, the 20-year-old sensation who is leading the Mavericks with 29.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and nine assists a game.
When Lakers coach Frank Vogel was asked at Thursday's practice what impresses him most about Doncic, he didn't hesitate in his response.
"Everything," Vogel said. "I think just his ability to light it up if you don't bring enough help and put up insane scoring numbers. And then the fact, as his coaching staff likes to point out, he's seen double teams since he was 13 years old. So his ability to not only fill it up offensively, but read and react to whatever covers, whatever kind of help or double team that you're bringing to him and pick defenses apart, is probably even more impressive."
The Lakers have won two of the teams' three meetings, and have the best road record in the league (15-3).
In their last game, the Lakers breezed past Dallas, 108-95, holding them to 36 percent shooting.
But Vogel said the Mavericks are "as tough a challenge as there is in the league," pointing to the fact that they've got a superstar with a great supporting cast around him.
"With Dallas it’s the 3-point line and the lob threats," Vogel said. "It’s very, very difficult to prepare for teams like that."
