The Lakers are coming off a loss to the Mavericks on 4/22 110-115 and look to bounce back with a statement win over Luka and the Mavericks. The Lakers are currently 35-24, impressive with their injuries, and are holding the fifth seed in the Western Conference. The Mavericks are coming in at 32-26, trying to get into the sixth seed position in what could be a playoff preview against the Lakers. The Lakers only have two players out for the game tonight, those being LeBron James with a right ankle injury and Jared Dudley who is presumed out for the rest of the season. The Mavericks have three players on their injury report, one definitely out being Tyrell Terry, two players listed as day-to-day being Maxi Kleber and Kristaps Porzingis. The three keys for a Lakers win tonight is Anthony Davis playing efficient for his minutes restriction, stopping Luka, and getting the bench involved.
Anthony Davis played last game for his return, only playing 17 minutes, scoring four points, grabbing four rebounds, and dishing out an assist. That’s reasonable for a player who missed as much time as AD had, but him playing 20-25 minutes tonight and getting more involved is key. I don’t want Anthony Davis to push himself too far, but seeing him play 20+ is going to be big, and hopefully a 10+ point performance. With the lack of bugs with the injuries to the Mavericks, he could have a big game. Luka Doncic had a great game against the Lakers the other night, putting up thirty points, nine rebounds and eight assists, flirting with a triple double. Stopping Luka is a task easier said than done, but it is an essential one if the Lakers want to win this game. Last but not least, the Lakers bench. As of late with the loss of LeBron James and AD, they’ve been playing basketball with the whole team. Getting the bench like Talen Horton-Tucker, Alex Caruso, and other players involved is key for a win tonight. We shall see how the return tour of Anthony Davis continues tonight, hope you enjoyed reading, Shaney out.
TheDyspatch 