So far the new-look Los Angeles Lakers only have two losses on the season after a dominant win over the Washington Wizards on Friday.
Las Vegas has LeBron James’ men as at the top of the NBA odds boards to win the NBA Title in 2020, and thus far, the Lakers are living up to the hype.
The Mavericks will be the second straight visitor against the Lakers before they head back on the road. It will also be the second time they will have gone toe-to-toe with Luka Doncic and the upstart Dallas Mavericks.
A Few Weeks Ago
The Lakers got the better of the Mavericks in Dallas the last time they played. Fans were worried about the head-to-head duel that LeBron James would face with the Mavericks young Slovenian superstar.
But they had no need for fear. The Lakers ended up taking the game, 119 to 110, although it came with some nervous moments before the game headed to overtime and it wasn’t really until the fifth period that LA took over. Doncic had an amazing game – now typical for him – recording a triple-double with 31 points, 15 assists, and 13 boards. But King James doesn’t like to be outdone, so he scored 39 points, dished out 16 assists, and grabbed 12 rebounds of his own. Anthony Davis had a good game too; he took a lot of those LBJ assists and turned them into buckets, dropping another 31 points in the basket for the Lakers, along with a pair of assists and eight more rebounds.
They got the job done in Dallas.
Showdown in Hollywood on Dec. 1 | Luka Doncic vs. LeBron James
The Mavericks are still a hot team. Their frontcourt is loaded with talents like Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and Dwight Powell. They also have some decent depth in the backcourt with guys like Seth Curry and Tim Hardaway Jr.
The Mavs haven’t dominated like the Lakers, but they’ve amassed a 12-6 record and look like they’re well on their way to being a playoff team in April. They have the offense in the league, scoring 116.2 points per 100 possessions. Their defense isn’t too shabby either, ranking 16th as they allow 108.7 points per 100 possessions.
But their road offense has actually played even better, dropping 120.6 points per 100 possessions while giving up 114.3. The Lakers have been mediocre offensively at Staples Center but they have the best home defense in the NBA, giving up only 97.3 points per 100 possessions.
We should see another tough battle between James and the young heir to the throne Luka Doncic, but even if the younger player gets the better of the duel, the Mavericks are not likely to get the better of the Lakers’ defense as a whole.
It will be another close game with the Mavericks, but LeBron and the squad should pull out another win on December 1st.
