NBA game of the week: Los Angeles Lakers at Dallas Mavericks: The game of the week in the NBA will be Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers traveling to Dallas to take on Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, April 24th at 8:30 pm EST.
The Lakers currently sit at 35-24, good for the fifth seed in the western conference. The Mavericks ruined Anthony Davis’s return to the court for the Lakers as they defeated them 115-110 on Thursday Night. Davis had missed the previous 30 games due to a lower-body injury, but Davis played 17 minutes in his return to the court totaling 4 points, 4 rebounds, and one assist, block and steal in just the first half of play yesterday.
The Mavericks did everything they could to make his return a nightmare by double-teaming him and forcing him to pass instead of shoot. Davis struggling to find good shots left the door open for Andre Drummond to do what he’s been doing his whole career which is be a walking, talking double double.
Drummond had 14 points and 19 rebounds, which are his best stats as a Laker and arguably his best stat line of the season. With no timetable for the return of Lebron James, the Lakers need to find a way to stay afloat above the 7th seed to avoid the possibility of playing in the newly implemented play-in tournament without Lebron. The way to do that is to take it slow, take it possession by possession, game by game and Lebron James should be ready to come back by the time the playoffs come around.
The Mavericks are having a down year as they currently sit with an overall record of 32-26, good for the 7th seed in the west. The Mavericks are on a mini win streak of their own as they’ve won two games in a row beating the Pistons and this same Lakers team.
Luka Doncic had himself another phenomenal game dropping 30 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in 36 minutes of play in Thursday Night’s victory over the Lakers, in a game that saw every Mavericks starter score into double figures. Kristaps Porzingis also hit both of his averages when he had 19 points and seven rebounds in only 29 minutes of play.
With only 14 games remaining and some key matchups coming up for the Mavs like the Warriors, Pelicans, and the Grizzlies. If they can get their dynamic trio of Doncic, Porzingis, and Hardaway Jr. in a groove they might be able to leap some over some of the seeds and avoid the play-in tournament altogether.
This game between these two teams will be the third and final game between them this season. With the season series tied at one game apiece. The Lakers won on Christmas 138-115 and then the Mavericks got their revenge after four months of waiting by beating them 115-110 on Thursday.
The Lakers and Mavs both had championship potential coming into this season but with all the injuries the Lakers suffered and that severely slow start the Mavericks got off too it seems like they’re both more middle of the pack instead of being cemented into the top ten of the league. But don’t count any team with LeBron James or Luka Doncic out.
Catch the NBA game of the week and the third and final installment of this matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, April 24th at 8:30 pm EST on NBA League Pass, ABC, or your local Dallas or Los Angeles NBC Sports channel.
