Around twelve games remain for each club in the regular season, which means we are in the home stretch of the competition. Looking at the Western Conference, we have a competitive battle, particularly for the play-in tournament. But, the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans remain outside looking in, wanting to participate in the debate. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Lakers occupy the seventh through the tenth spots. It is important to remember that the Golden State Warriors also have a chance of falling out of the top six.
All of this is to imply that the upcoming game between the Mavericks and the Lakers at 10:30 AM on NBA TV Philippines (accessible through Smart LiveStream or Cignal TV) has a wide variety of repercussions and significances.
The Mavericks are now sitting in the eighth seed position with a record of 35-35, while the Lakers have a card of 34-36 and are fighting to maintain their current position.
The last matchup between these two teams, which occurred in late February, may be considered a turning moment for the Lakers. The Los Angeles team overcame a deficit of 27 points to come away with a surprise win away from home, 111-108. This game was also the one in which LeBron James injured his right foot. He could continue playing despite suffering an injury, but he limped when he left the stadium. The King has been out for the last nine games, and the Lakers have a record of 5-4 without him.
The Lakers’ prospects of securing a spot in the playoffs took a huge blow following their most recent game when they lost to the Houston Rockets, one of the worst teams in the NBA. Anthony Davis did not participate in that game, but the Mavericks matchup is still being considered a possible outcome for him. AD’s 26.1 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks should undoubtedly be a significant boost for the Los Angeles Lakers, who need all the firepower they can get.
Skills that were very recently obtained Time is running out for D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt, all of whom have had memorable moments while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, but it is not yet too late for them.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have dealt with their fair share of ailments. During their most recent match against the San Antonio Spurs, the squad was missing Luka Doncic (thigh), Kyrie Irving (foot), and Tim Hardaway Jr. (calf). The game ended up going into overtime due to a late mistake made by the Mavericks, which enabled the Spurs to force the extra period. Thankfully, the 137-128 win was secured thanks to Christian Wood’s 28 points and 13 rebounds, as well as Jaden Hardy’s and Dwight Powell’s respective scores of 22 points apiece.
Both Doncic and Irving took part in the most recent practice that the club had; however, Doncic will not play against the Lakers, while Irving’s status for the game is currently labeled as doubtful.
The clubs will meet for the fourth and final time in the game that will take place on Saturday. The Mavericks were victorious in the previous two matchups, including one that was decided in double OT in January. The Lakers got back on track and won their most recent matchup.
