The Dallas Mavericks have had a few days off to enjoy the holiday after losing in Miami to the Heat on Monday night. They’ll now head West for back-to-back games in Los Angeles, starting with the Lakers on Friday night for their first meeting against Luka Doncic and LeBron James of the season; the first time since Nico Harrison was fired.
Luka Doncic is only a Laker because Nico Harrison’s ego got in the way of common basketball sense, as he traded away a generational superstar before he even hit his prime, basically because of a disagreement over Doncic’s calf strain injury. Doncic never wanted to leave Dallas. He wanted to be like Dirk Nowitzki and have a long, fruitful career with the Mavs. But he wasn’t given that opportunity, and now he’ll torch the franchise in every game he plays against them.
Friday’s game is technically NBA Cup action, but the Mavericks have already been eliminated from moving on to the next round, while the Lakers have already clinched winning the group. Another big win will help them with seeding, but otherwise, they don’t have too much to play for besides sticking it to the Mavs.
Nov 8, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Injured Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis looks on from the bench during a timeout against the Washington Wizards in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Anthony Davis has missed the last 14 games for the Mavericks, ironically with a calf strain, but he’s nearing his return. He’s likely to play in one of these two games against the Lakers or the Clippers on Saturday, and he’d like it to be this game. He’s yet to play against his former team in Los Angeles, as he was hurt for this matchup last year, too.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have won their last five games and are one of the better teams in the West overall. Doncic is leading the league in scoring at 35.2 PPG, as well as in free throws made and attempted per game, while still averaging 9.2 APG and 8.8 RPG. He’s been better defensively and is in much better shape than he was in Dallas, something we all figured would happen eventually.
LeBron James also recently returned from injury, and he’s fitting in seamlessly alongside Doncic and Austin Reaves, has had an outstanding season.
The Mavericks have lost three of the last four, and all have been clutch games. Clutch performances have been a struggle for the Mavs this year as they try to find any source of offense. They may be one of the top five defenses, but they’re the worst offense in the NBA. Would sure be nice to have an all-world playmaker right now…
Nov 23, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) brings the ball up the court against the Utah Jazz during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images
READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks’ Anthony Davis speaks out about trade rumors
How to Watch: Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers
Date/Time: Friday, November 28th, 9 p.m. CST
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Team Records: Mavericks 5-14, Lakers 13-4
TV/Streaming: Amazon Prime Video
Spread (via FanDuel): Mavericks +11
Over/Under: 230.5
Moneyline: Lakers -510, Mavericks +390
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER
READ MORE: Anthony Davis breaks silence on Dallas Mavericks firing Nico Harrison
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