The Lakers (32-21) will take on the Mavericks (19-34) in their last game before the All-Star break. A victory would not only put them back in the win column after a brutal back-to-back against the Thunder and Spurs, but it’d ensure they win the season series against Luka Dončić‘s former team.
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If LA is going to beat Dallas on Thursday night, it’ll be without Luka. He will be missing his fourth game due to his left hamstring strain.
Even with their superstar out, the Lakers still have some offensive firepower. LeBron James and Austin Reaves are back in action and provide the team with two elite ball handlers to run the offense.
With the arrival of Luke Kennard, the Lakers have an additional 3-point threat they can use to try to stymie Dallas’ defense. Scoring on the Mavericks won’t be easy though, they rank 12th in defense.
On the plus side, the Mavs struggle to put the ball in the hoop. They have an offensive rating of 110.3, which is the fourth-worst in the league.
If Lakers fans are worried about Cooper Flagg going off in this game, he won’t be doing that since he’s been ruled out for this matchup. So, the Mavericks will need someone else to have a monster game if they are going to pull off the road win.
On paper, this should be an easy game for the Lakers. The Mavericks are shorthanded, the Lakers are at home and healthy enough to overwhelm Dallas.
Still, expectations are one thing, but execution is another. The 2025-26 Lakers aren’t known for racking up blowout wins even against weaker opponents.