A perfect 10
The 17-2 Los Angeles Lakers are continuing to stack up the Ws. They have now won 10-straight games after Saturday’s 125-103 victory over the Washington Wizards, where they also dropped a new season-high in points while at home.
In the win, the Lakers, who are currently 4-0 in game where they trailed by 15 or more, once again showcased resiliency and ability to recover from a bad start. After allowing the Wizards to jump into an early 9-0 lead, they turned on the jets and never looked back, and even led by as much as 39.
The Lakers first met the Dallas Mavericks this season on November 1st. They won in overtime, 119-110, after an exciting back-and-forth. Anthony Davis had 31 points and a handful of crucial baskets, while LeBron James bullied his way into a man-sized triple-double – 39 points, 12 rebounds, and 16 assists.
We should continue seeing big performances from James (25.7 PPG, 11 APG) and Davis (26.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.8 BPG), along with an ample support from their supporting cast.
The Lakers are on a four-game winning streak at home and have won by 20 or more in three of those games.
Back in the win column
The Dallas Mavericks are back in the win column after getting pummelled by the Los Angeles Clippers last Wednesday. They opened their road trip with a 120-113 win against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday, and as you might’ve guessed, it was Luka Doncic that led the charge, as he logged in 42 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists. With the victory, the Mavs improved to 12-6 on the season.
There’s no more doubting Doncic and his ability to become the next NBA superstar – the talent and the productivity is clearly there. He just closed out a month averaging a 30-point triple double (32.4 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 10.4 APG in November).
Hopefully, though, Doncic would get more help from the other Mavs in this Lakers rematch. The 20-year-old was the lone bright spot in the first meeting (31 pts, 13 rebs, 15 ast), with Kristaps Porzingis only posting a subpar 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
The Mavs are 6-2 on the road this season.
PREDICTION:
The Lakers win a close battle, 110-106, but they must do a better job rebounding the ball. They got outrebounded last time, 61-41, with the Mavs also hauling in 18 offensive boards, compared to the Lakers’ six.
Doncic will lead the show for the Mavs again, and he looks good to hit over 30.5 points.
