The NBA Cup group stage culminates tonight with 11 games, but one fixture carries significantly more intrigue than the rest, the matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers are already classified for the next round, while the Mavs have been eliminated from the tournament. The realities of the two teams are completely different: the Lakers (13-4) are second in the Western Conference, riding a five-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Mavericks (5-14) are second-to-last in the conference.
This will be the third game between the teams since the famous trade in February, but it will be the first time Anthony Davis plays in Los Angeles since the move. Davis has been announced as returning to the court tonight after nearly a month out with a calf injury. AD has only participated in five of the Mavericks’ 19 games, but his return is crucial for a team that has looked very poor this season and whose best player has been rookie Cooper Flagg, who is shouldering the massive expectation of being considered Doncic’s “replacement.”
Lakers Change Court After Doncic’s Safety Complaint
Throughout the NBA Cup group stage, one notable change has been the uniquely colored, alternate court designs featuring the cup logo in the free-throw area. Regarding the Lakers’ Cup court design, Luka Doncic voiced a notable safety concern: “It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous and you could see a lot of players slipped.” Although not an official petition, the NBA listened and is granting his implied request by changing the floor for tonight’s game.
The Lakers will not play on their NBA Cup court tonight after the surface was determined to be unplayable, and the court has since been sent back to the vendor for repairs. Since a Lakers win tonight would secure another home game in the next round of the NBA Cup, the original court will likely return, perhaps with some design modifications. But Doncic’s public complaint clearly served as a major impetus for the league to review all surfaces for the remaining tournament games and for next season.
Davis Hopes to Slow Down Dominant Luka
Anthony Davis’s return may include a small tribute from the Lakers, as he and LeBron James were the key pieces in securing the team’s last championship in 2020. In the two previous matchups between the two teams, Luka Doncic has shown the Mavericks the immense mistake they made in trading him, as he averaged 32.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 9.0 assists.
Given the current dominant form of the Lakers and Doncic, who is leading the NBA in points per game, the Mavericks will need every single player to elevate their level of play. Davis’s return is expected to help the team achieve that, particularly by alleviating some of the pressure currently resting on rookie Cooper Flagg’s shoulders.
Read the full article here
