Mavericks vs. Lakers predictions, preview, how to watch Luka Doncic's return to Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks have had a few days off since back-to-back blowout losses on the road to the LA Clippers, and now comes one of the most anticipated games of the regular season: a home matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. And this isn't just any matchup against the Lakers, it's Luka Doncic's first game back in Dallas since February's shocking trade.

Dallas is hanging on for dear life for the Play-In Tournament, but they're pretty locked into the 9/10 game against the Sacramento Kings. Whether they'll be hosting that game or if they'll be on the road is yet to be determined, but they'll need to play much better than they did over the weekend.

The Lakers played on Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder after beating them on Sunday night. Some thought that they would rest Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and other key members of the rotation in preparation for the Mavs game, but they decided to go for it. Luka Doncic hit a shot in the lane to put them up 108-107 and started trash-talking a fan as he was running back, then got called for his second technical foul of the game and was ejected with about eight minutes remaining. That took the wind out of their sails, and the Thunder would go on to win 136-120.

This is the third and final matchup of the season between the two, with the series currently tied at one.