It is March 21, 2012 and tonight the (28-18) Los Angeles Lakers are challenged to overcome the stench of a two-game skid and snap the four-game winning streak of the (27-20) defending World Champion Dallas Mavericks. That challenge is much more daunting in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.
The Lakers have a strong desire to place a pair of terrible, frustrating – and at times unfathomable – performances behind them. Center Andrew Bynum’s game ended early Tuesday against the Houston Rockets because of his own undoing. He owes the Lakers franchise, his coaching staff, his teammates, Laker Nation and himself a better performance and much better control of his temper.
The Lakers are prepared to beat the Mavericks for the third time this season and the 13th time out of 16 regular season games. To be successful, L.A. must raise their level of play and match the intensity of their opponent in a hostile environment; a task that the Lakers have had difficulty accomplishing with any consistency. They have posted a 9-15 mark on the road.
The Mavericks are hot – winners of four straight and five straight games at home. The barometer for the Mavericks is forward Dirk Nowitzki who, much-improved all-around, is averaging 28.5 points per game. Overall, L.A. is 7-3 against Dallas in their last 10 games. The purple and gold are 5-5 in their last 10 games at American Airlines Center.
In these two teams’ first meeting this season, the game was over (73-70) when the Lakers’ former iconic guard Derek Fisher knocked down a game winning three-pointer with 3.1 seconds remaining. In the second meeting, he scored a season-high 15 points and the Lakers lost the majority of their lead but were able to survive six consecutive missed free throws (nine in the fourth quarter) down the stretch to come away with a 96-91 road win.
Tonight’s game is matchup of two of the best defensive teams in the league and could come down to defensive stops, rebounding, offensive execution down the stretch and turnovers. This is a contest with playoff implications. The Lakers and Mavericks both are optimistic of home court advantage throughout the playoffs and a road win tonight works in L.A.’s favor.
It is time for the Lakers to start new guard Ramon Sessions and move Steve Blake back to his familiar role of leading the second unit. L.A. has to play with a high energy level, take care of the ball, defend, own the boards and not let another team’s reserve become a star tonight. Strong contributions from the reserves is a must. Everyone in a purple and gold jersey needs to step up their game in order to come away victorious.
Starters
Lakers: S. Blake, K. Bryant, M. Peace, P. Gasol, A. Bynum
Mavericks: J. Kidd, R. Beaubois, V. Carter, D. Nowitzki, B. Haywood
Tip-off: 6:30 PM PST
Television –
- Los Angeles: KCAL 9 (Bill Macdonald & Stu Lantz) & ESPN
- Dallas: FS SW (Mark Followill & Brad Davis) & ESPN
Radio –
- Los Angeles: 710 ESPN (John Ireland & Mychal Thompson)
- Dallas: ESPN 103.3 (Chuck Cooperstein)
Injuries –
Lakers:
- Metta World Peace (Left Hip Bursitis) Probable
- Andrew Bynum (Bruised Right Knee) Probable
- Darius Morris (Sprained Left Wrist) Day-to-Day
Mavericks:
- Shawn Marion (Sore Left Knee) Day-to-Day
- Delonte West (Finger) Out