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After losing to the Kings 129-113 on Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks have been in a bit of a rut, having dropped three of their last four games. They will be looking to end a two-game losing streak. Leading the squad in scoring with 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists was Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving followed with 23 points, and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 14 points off the bench.
The Mavericks set the tone early with 36 points in the opening quarter and shot 46 percent from the field and 12 of 34 from three pointers as a team. However, they struggled defensively and let up 107 points in just three quarters, losing badly in the end.
After defeating the Jazz 131-99 last night, the Los Angeles Lakers are beginning to heat up. They have won six of their last seven games overall, and they will be keen to extend their current winning streak to three games. Leading the squad in scoring with 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists on 11 of 14 shots was Anthony Davis.
D'Angelo Russell followed with 20 points and 8 assists on 7 of 9 shots, and Austin Reaves finished with 19 points and 5 assists off the bench. The Lakers quickly took command of the game, shooting a solid 57 percent from the field and 11 of 29 from beyond the 3-point line.
Things won't get any easier for the Dallas Mavericks as they travel to face the resurgent Los Angeles Lakers ahead of Thanksgiving in an attempt to shake off their current slump, which has seen them lose three of their previous four games.
Before their game against the Mavs on Wednesday, the Lakers had won five of their previous six games under the direction of 38-year-old LeBron James, who recently moved up to the NBA's all-time triple-double list, surpassing Jason Kidd. While Dallas' top offensive tandem of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic is clicking, its defense has struggled all season long, particularly during their current 3–1 run in which they have allowed an average of 127.3 points.
The Mavs have the third-best offense in the league, while the Lakers rank 24th, so theoretically they should have a good opportunity to snap their current two-game losing streak. But, below-average attacks often appear much better than they are against Dallas' 25th-ranked defense, so we wouldn't be surprised if that happened again on Wednesday.
In addition to the excellent on-court action, many eyes will undoubtedly be on the activities leading up to and following the game. Though Irving has been playing well with Doncic and signed a three-year contract with the Mavs this summer, trade rumors involving Kyrie Irving and the Los Angeles Lakers have not abated.
But if James is going to get back together with Irving before he retires, he would be better off attempting to do it in Dallas with Doncic as well, as we have said numerous times at DallasBasketball.com.
"He's got game control. He is not even required to fire. Because of his pace, he can literally walk the ball up ten times in a row and land in his location each and every time. He is aware of when he is being picked off, whether it is because they are dropping the pick and roll, hedging, or hard showing. He knows that I can turn the corner because I have this shoulder, and he also knows that when I get to the third line of defense, all I have to do is slow down and use my pivots—I don't even need to jump—because this guy will always be flying by. It is the psyche.
On Wednesday, the two masterminds will square off in their 12th game; Doncic is looking for his sixth career victory over James. Doncic and James presently have a 7-4 head-to-head record, but in this particular game, Doncic may have the best supporting cast around him of any player he's faced in James' previous games.
