Mavs vs. Lakers Preview: Luka Doncic's Hollywood Showdown with LeBron James
Anytime Luka Doncic and LeBron James play each other, the stars align and the lights shine just a little bit brighter.
The Dallas Mavericks come into Crypto.com Arena on Thursday evening amid a two-game skid, losing against the surging Los Angeles Clippers and the young-and-hungry Oklahoma City Thunder. The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, have won four of their last five games.
Similar to the Chrismas Day contest, Lakers frontcourt star Anthony Davis will sit out due to a stress injury in his right foot. Although not missing such star power as the Lakers, the Mavericks' injury report is as jam-packed as Los Angeles traffic.
Josh Green is out due to an elbow strain, Dorian Finney-Smith won't play, as he's dealing with a right adductor sprain, and Maxi Kleber is out for his 15th consecutive game after suffering a right hamstring tear. Finishing off the injury report, Dwight Powell's status is questionable due to a hip contusion.
As previously mentioned, the Lakers also have significant injuries. Aside from Davis' absence, Austin Reaves is out with a hamstring strain, and Lonnie Walker lV will also miss Thursday's action with left knee tendinitis. Patrick Beverley's status is questionable, with right hip soreness.
The last time the Mavericks faced the Lakers, Dallas made history by scoring 51 points in the third quarter, an all-time Christmas Day high. With the bright lights of Tinseltown shining down on Doncic, "Luka Magic" is sure to entertain the star-studded basketball crowd.
In his 13 career games vs. the Lakers, Doncic averages 24 points, eight assists, and eight rebounds per game. With the Lakers clawing for play-in position and the Mavericks staving off multiple suitors for the four-seed, Thursday night has the potential for the game of the night.
FUN FACT: Former head coach of the 2020 NBA champion Lakers, Frank Vogel, attended Mavs practice Wednesday afternoon. Perhaps Kidd will allow his former boss a guest spot near the Mavs bench Thursday evening.
RECORDS: Dallas Mavericks (23-19), Los Angeles Lakers (19-22)
WHEN: Thursday, January 12, 2023 - 9:00 p.m. CT
WHERE: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles, CA)
TV: TNT
RADIO: 97.1 The Freak
ODDS: The Mavs are 3-point favorites over the Lakers.
Next Up: The Mavs face the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night. Mavs fans, don't make plans for the weekend, as they battle Portland on the road yet again on Sunday.
FINAL WORD: “You see the same coverage over and over, you’ll figure it out when you have a high basketball IQ, which Luka has. Then you trust your teammates to make the right play or knock down shots. … But Luka’s IQ is off the charts, and he’s gonna make an adjustment for sure,” James said after the Mavs beat the Lakers on Christmas.
Due to an injury-riddled roster, Doncic must perform at an otherworldly efficient rate. However, as James stated, Doncic trusts his teammates to knock down the shots, and that's a task in itself. Ultimately, Doncic will show up, but what about the Mavs role players?
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