Prepping for Playoffs: Lakers vs Mavericks Game Analysis
What was previously a battle for second place in the Western Conference has turned into six teams competing for third. Only two points separate those six teams, and with their current two-game winning streak, the Lakers sit on top of that with 48 wins.
The Mavs are in the group below that, scrambling to secure one of the last playoff spots.
Los Angeles Lakers Recent Scores
In the last ten games, the Lakers are an even 5-5, but they did beat the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 6th, 126-99. They also thumped the second-place Rockets on March 31st, 104-98. They weren’t as lucky against Eastern Conference teams like the seventh-seed Magic, who overpowered the Lakers 118-106, and the ninth-seed Bulls, who squeaked past LA 119-117.
LA goes up against the Thunder on Tuesday, once again in Oklahoma City, before meeting the Mavericks in Dallas on Wednesday. Win or lose against the Thunder, they’ll be drained as they stay on the road for one more game.
They’ve made the playoffs and have an 88% chance of having home-field advantage.
Dallas Mavericks Recent Scores
The Mavericks are also 5-5 in their last ten outings but are on a two-game slide. This puts them in contention for the Play-in Tournament. There’s only a 3% chance they’ll miss out on that, so winning or losing the last few games won’t make much of a difference.
Their previous two games were against the Clippers, who are making a run for a good playoff position. They beat the Mavs 114 – 91 and 135 – 104. Both games were in LA. Dallas has a better home record, so they have a chance against the Lakers on Wednesday.
Focus on Health: Lakers vs Mavericks Prediction
The Lakers might be tired after their Oklahoma road trip, but so far, they have only one injury: Maxi Kleber is out. Dallas is without Kyrie Irving, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Dante Exum. Daniel Gafford and Jaden Hardy are day-to-day.
Luka Dončić is still the leading scorer for the Lakers, averaging 27.3 points per game, with LeBron James right behind him with 24.5 points per game. Austin Reaves rounds out the powerhouse trio with 20.2 points per game.
Dallas has Kyrie Irving, who scores 24.7 points per game (but he’s injured), and Anthony Davis, who has 20.6 points per game. They’re supported by Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Both teams have allowed roughly 117 points per game in the last ten games, but Dallas has only averaged 113.2 points per game, while LA has 115.1 ppg. The teams look pretty even over the last ten games. The difference is who they’ve been playing.
For the most part, the Lakers have had the tougher schedule, although the Mavs were on the road for seven of their last 10 games while LA was five and five. But I’ll still choose the Lakers to win this one in a close 118-113 game. Remember to follow us at PayPerHead never to miss an NBA article.
