The Mavericks will return home to take on the Lakers Saturday night.
Dallas is coming off a four game west coast road swing in which they could only muster one win against the lowly Kings.
The Lakers, however, are heading in the opposite direction. They have won four straight, and are coming off a dismantling of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s all the more impressive that the damage has been done without stud rookie Lonzo Ball. Obviously, the Mavericks have a spectacular freshman of their own, and the last time these two teams met it was their first official meeting.
In that game, Dennis Smith Jr. stole the show. He scored 17 first half points, and dazzled with three point shooting and explosive attacks to the rim. He would finish with 23 in the game, but Lonzo and his boys got the last laugh.
After playing to a draw in regulation, Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle willed L.A. to an overtime victory. Clarkson scored multiple clutch buckets down the stretch, but it was Randle who killed the Mavericks on the interior all night long. The Dallas native finished up with a 23 point, 15 rebound double double.
Fortunatley for Dallas, one half of that duo is no longer an issue, as Jordan Clarkson was sent to Cleveland at Thursday’s Trade Deadline.
So no spark plug scoring guard to deal with? That’s good news, right? Well, not exactly.
In return, the Lakers received the right to former Celtics All-star Isaiah Thomas. The diminutive guard had a rough showing during his short tenure in Cleveland, and he might not even play. If he does make an appearance though, the offensive punch he provides could be a difference maker for L.A.
The Mavericks made a move of their own on Thursday when they acquired Doug McDermott. The sharpshooting swing man has averaged around 7 points per game this season, and is a career 39 percent three point shooter. He should fit in nicely with an already proficient bench unit.
Catch Dougie McBuckets Dallas debut on FSSW Saturday night. Tip off is at 7:30 CST.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login
You must log in to post a comment.