The Dallas Mavericks hope the slumping Los Angeles Lakers will provide a cure for their recent home-court woes when the teams square off Tuesday in Dallas. The Mavericks have dropped four straight at home after a 92-80 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday in which they struggled to season-low point totals for a half (35 in the first) and game. The injury-riddled Lakers have lost seven of eight, including a 137-115 loss to Denver on Sunday.
The Lakers' only win during their rough stretch came against the lowly Utah Jazz, and they're dealing with injuries to guards Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar and forward Xavier Henry, as well as the distraction of constant trade rumors surrounding center Pau Gasol. "It's tough, there's no sugarcoating it," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters. "We're in a hole, and we put ourselves in this hole. We'll get guys coming back. We just have to keep playing hard, keep our heads down and go through it." Dallas has dropped two straight but is still in eighth place in the Western Conference.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (14-20): The 137 points Los Angeles allowed against the Nuggets are its most in a regulation game since 1993, underscoring the defensive problems that have plagued the Lakers the past two seasons. Gasol (15.6 points, 9.5 rebounds) continues to produce, but he could be dealt to provide financial relief. If the Lakers have found a silver lining among their myriad injuries it's second-year point guard Kendall Marshall, who had nine points, 17 assists and six rebounds against Denver and has a franchise-record 32 assists in his first two career starts.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (19-15): Dallas doesn't have many sputtering offensive efforts like it did against the Knicks thanks to Dirk Nowitzki (20.9 points, 5.9 rebounds) and Monta Ellis (20 points, 5.8 assists). Ellis and backcourt mate Jose Calderon (12 points, 4.8 assists) will be a handful for the Lakers' decimated backcourt. The Mavericks also should have center Samuel Dalembert (6.3 points, 6.2 rebounds) back after he was benched against the Knicks for being late to Saturday's practice.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Lakers, who are 6-10 away from home, are beginning a stretch in which 10 of their next 11 games are on the road.
2. Nowitzki needs one steal to become the 23rd active player with 1,000 in his career.
3. Lakers leading scorer Nick Young (16.6 points) has scored in double figures in 20 consecutive games and has hit the 20-point mark in eight of the last 11.