Written by: Davion Lee
The Western Conference’s never ending battle has gotten even tougher as the Los Angeles Lakers(43-14) face the new-look Dallas Mavericks(36-21).
The Lakers are playing their 2nd of back-to-back road games after playing in Memphis last night.
The return of the Mamba, proved why in close games, there’s no one in the league better.
After missing five games with an ankle injury, Kobe hit yet another game-winning 3-pointer(including the Lakers’ final nine points) with 4.3 seconds left to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies, 99-98.
This will be an even tougher trip for the defending champs. Dallas will be looking to redeem themselves after a 100-95 lost to L.A. on Jan. 13th. But Lakers lead the series 2-1, looking for their 3rd straight in Dallas.
Defense will be key for the Lakers, as the Mavericks are sporting newly acquisitioned Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson.
Caron Butler, a former Laker, is a great scorer and will be looking for match-up advantages against our backcourt. Artest will likely carry most of the defensive load on him. But expect Bryant and Butler to be guarding each other late in the 4th.
Bench play will also be a factor. The Bench-Mob played fantastic in the last game against Dallas, outscoring the Maverick’s bench, 31-21.
PROJECTED STARTERS:
Lakers:
(C) A. Bynum
(PF) P. Gasol
(SF) R. Artest
(SG) K. Bryant
(PG) D. Fisher
Injuries:
K. Bryant(ankle/right index) listed day-to-day.
S. Vujacic(shoulder) is out.
(C) B. Haywood
(PF) D. Nowitzki
(SF) S. Marion
(SG) C. Butler
(PG) J. Kidd
Injuries:
E. Dampier(finger) is out.
T. Thomas(personal reasons) is not with the team.
NOTES:
The Lakers are 95-29 all-time in the season series against the Mavericks. Last night(Feb. 23rd) was Kobe Bryant’s 1000th career game. Kobe is the youngest to reach the milestone and 90th overall. The Mavericks are sporting that new-trade smell. Before the trade deadline, the Mavs pulled the trigger to obtain Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson from the Washington Wizards for Josh Howard and a few lesser-known players.
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