While they’ve had a past checkered with memorable games, future Lakers-Mavericks games are going to have a whole lot more intrigue moving forward.
Luka Dončić needs little motivation to unleash hell upon a team and every matchup against the Mavs will serve as plenty of fuel for his fire. Given how great of a player he is, that means just about every meeting against Dallas will have the potential for a huge Luka performance.
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Next season, Lakers fans won’t have to wait long to see the first meeting. After being drawn in the same group of the NBA Cup, Dallas and Los Angeles are set for their first game next season to take place in late November, according to Marc Stein.
It’s still a little surprising that the NBA didn’t put a Mavs-Lakers game in any marquee slot. The Luka storyline alone would be enough to drive viewers to the games still this season, but you also mix in Cooper Flagg’s arrival and the LeBron James-Anthony Davis dynamic and have a really compelling game.
That game, however, is going to come on a random November day and not opening night, opening week or Christmas. Realistically, you wouldn’t be able to save their first game for late December if they’re in the same NBA Cup group, but you get the point.
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Nonetheless, if it’s a late November game, it could be a game that carries some weight with it in regards to the NBA Cup, however much that’ll matter to either the Lakers or Mavs.
Regardless of those circumstances, though, every matchup with Dallas is going to mean something to Luka for the foreseeable future and that alone makes it must-see TV.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.