Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction: Revamped but vulnerable Lakers take on still unsettled Doncic-Irving duo

The NBA Regular Season has moved past the All-Star Break and we are heading into a territory where the game slate is going to be important more than ever considering that a big losing streak and winning streak from here can play decisive roles. The Postseason is near and in the Western Conference, the situation is still unclear from the second rank onwards. Two teams that are vying to import substantial fortunes, the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers are going to clash here. 

Mavs comes into the game after defeating a struggling Spurs squad 142:116 as Luka Doncic poured in 28 points. This won broke a three-game losing streak and this has been a gruelling season for Dallas thus far. They are in a decent situation with 32 wins and 29 losses but their play is just a shadow of what it was last season when they reached the West Finals. Their defense has looked too vulnerable espescially after the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith and due to that, there have been some ruptures.

The tools are there to make a deep run. Two high-quality scorers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving make the team a nightly high-scoring threat but the offensive support around them can crumble at times. It is time that the Dallas outfit pick up their defense. They are currently in the top-six spot in the West, which means automatic qualification to the First Round of the Playoffs but there are still 20-odd games remaining in the schedule, which means that they can’t afford losing streaks anymore. The current five-game home stretch can help them consolidate some advantage.

The Lakers march into this affair after a prolific beatdown of the Warriors as they triumphed 124:111 on the heels of a 25 points outburst by sharpshooter Malik Beasley. They won despite a horrendous performance by LeBron James, who shot 5/20 which is rather a rare phenomenon. The Lakers have won twice in a row and three times in four games, which has brought their record to 32 losses and 28 wins. However, their sluggish ways means that they have a lot of catching up to do.

The Lakers brought in D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt with the former two helping the shooting end. Vanderbilt is a superb rebounder and hustle player. The Lakers have improved shooting-wise but their work is cut out to end the season. The Lakers have been struggling for most parts and even after having a balanced lineup, they have their work cut-out.

The Lakers have been playing a decent brand of basketball whereas the Mavericks will have their work cut-out. The Mavericks have a special duo of Irving and Doncic but their defensive job has been hit. I believe the Mavericks will not waste the home-court advantage and I predict a scoreline of 120:113.