Mavs vs. Lakers Christmas Day Preview: Luka vs. LeBron as Ultimate Stocking Stuffer
With Santa having made all his early-morning rounds, NBA fans still have some stocking stuffers to enjoy. For Dallas Mavericks fans specifically, Sunday is an extra-special Christmas Day, as the team is unveiling Dirk Nowitzki's statue in front of American Airlines Center just hours before Luka Doncic and the rest of the crew host LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers. It's the Mavs' first Christmas Day game at home in 11 years.
Although Doncic vs. James is the one-on-one superstar matchup that shouldn't disappoint, both the Mavs and Lakers are coming into this one with injury-riddled rosters.
The Mavs will be without Josh Green (elbow sprain), Dorian Finney-Smith (adductor strain), Kemba Walker (knee injury recovery) and Maxi Kleber (hamstring tear). Promising 20-year-old rookie Jaden Hardy is questionable with a back contusion.
The Lakers will be without Anthony Davis (foot injury) and Juan Toscano-Anderson (ankle sprain). James is listed as probable with ankle soreness after Friday's 134-130 loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Dallas comes into Sunday's matchup with the ninth-best offensive rating at 113.8, whereas L.A. comes in with the 19th-ranked defensive rating at 113.1. The Mavs will have ample opportunities to score against the Lakers' at AAC ... the only question is how much help can Doncic get from his supporting cast?
Over his last four games, Doncic is averaging 31.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 9.0 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 50.6 percent from the field, including 44.1 percent from deep on 8.5 attempts per game. He's also shooting 85.7 percent from the free-throw line on 8.8 attempts per game. Although some might think Friday's 50-point performance against the Houston Rockets inflates his points per game a little bit, it simply makes up for Monday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where Doncic was ejected in the third quarter while only having 19 points.
Doncic will likely put on a show with the spotlight being directly on him, but Christian Wood might have the best chance of giving him the most help on Sunday. Wood hasn't scored more than 15 points in his last three games despite picking things up on the defensive end by averaging 2.7 blocks during that span. He seems due for a breakout performance on offense, and the Lakers not having Davis to defend him means that breakout could come on Christmas.
FUN FACT: The last time the Mavs played a home game on Christmas Day was back in 2011, as Dallas took on James' Miami Heat just six months after beating them in the NBA Finals. The Heat, having revenge on their minds, won that matchup, but the Mavs raised their championship banner regardless. It's good to have Christmas Day hoops back in the Big D.
RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (17-16), Los Angeles Lakers (13-19)
WHEN: Sunday, December 25, 2022 – 1:30 p.m. CT
WHERE: American Airlines Center (Dallas, TX)
TV: ABC/ESPN
RADIO: 97.1 The Freak, 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
ODDS: The Mavs are 8.0-point favorites over the Lakers
NEXT UP: Dallas will stay put and take on Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks for the second time this season on Tuesday at AAC. Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. and the rest of the crew blew out the Knicks at Madison Square Garden
FINAL WORD: "Of course," said Doncic when asked if he was excited about his Christmas Day duel against LeBron James' Lakers. "I mean, it the first Christmas Day game for me at home, so I expect the gym [to be] full [and] a lot of energy. It's gonna be fun."
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