Lakers at Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks seek their ninth consecutive victory over the Los
Angeles Lakers when the two squads meet on Friday. Dallas averaged 115.5
points while sweeping last season's four meetings and also delivered a
103-93 road victory over the Lakers on Nov. 1.
The Mavericks have been up-and-down in the early going and enter this game on a high after producing a 118-108 victory over DeAndre Jordan and the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Standout forward Dirk Nowtizki had season bests of 31 points and 11 rebounds and was 11-of-14 shooting - including 5-of-6 from 3-point range - in Jordan's first game in Dallas after reneging on his word to sign with the Mavericks during last July's free-agency period. The Lakers hope to get guard Kobe Bryant back in the lineup after he missed the past two games with back soreness. Los Angeles is off to a woeful 1-7 start and fell 101-99 to Orlando on Wednesday when Magic center Nikola Vucevic hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (1-7): Bryant is averaging just 16.5 points and shooting 32 percent from the field in six games as he struggles to stay healthy. He said his back began bothering him in training camp and the pain and soreness have continued to fester. "It comes and goes," Bryant said after the Orlando game. "One game it's OK and then it tightens up. It still is tight now, but hopefully by Friday I will be ready. The back pain just needs to go away."
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (4-4): Shooting guard Wesley Matthews had his best game of the season with 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting in the victory over the Clippers. Matthews tore his left Achilles' tendon last March when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers and was still rounding into form as the season began. "We needed a game like this for our morale, for our fans, for everybody in Dallas to let everyone know that we can play this game," Matthews said afterward. "We can jell together. We can beat the best in the West."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks' eight-game winning streak is their longest ever against the Lakers.
2. Los Angeles rookie F Larry Nance Jr. scored a season-high 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting against Orlando.
3. Dallas SF Chandler Parsons (knee) sat out the contest with the Clippers and is averaging 4.4 points and shooting 32.1 percent from the field since returning from offseason surgery.