Luka Doncic, Lakers set to face improving Mavericks

Luka Doncic returns to Dallas for the second time since being traded to Los Angeles when the Lakers face the surging Mavericks on Saturday.

While Dallas has won a season-best four straight games, the Lakers have lost six of their last nine and 10 of their last 17.

The Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter before losing to the Los Angeles Clippers 112-104 on Thursday, while Dallas posted an impressive 123-115 home victory over the Golden State Warriors the same day.

The Mavericks entered Friday tied for the longest current winning streak in the league after shooting 50% (43 of 86) from the field and 37.1% (13 of 35) from 3-point range against the Warriors.

"It's a great team win against a very good team," Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. "It's always important to win. We struggled early, but it's a long season, a season of streaks, and right now we're on the other side of that with the wins."

The Mavericks were led by forward Naji Marshall, who matched his season highs with 30 points and nine assists.

After struggling to close out games for much of the season, Dallas improved to 19-26 by outscoring Golden State 39-26 in the fourth quarter.

"Just to come out on top in this one, it's an unbelievable feeling," Marshall said. "We're just growing. People are really quick to criticize. A lot of young guys out there. They're just learning on the move. And for them to get better and better, it's unbelievable to see. Just real proud of our guys."

The Mavericks' youth movement starts with forward Cooper Flagg, the top overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, who recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 21 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against the Warriors.

Dallas also received a spark from veteran forward Dwight Powell, who moved into the starting lineup for each of the last four games. Powell had 10 points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes in Thursday's win.

The Mavericks are looking to avenge a 129-119 road loss to the Lakers on Nov. 28. Doncic -- obtained from Dallas in a stunning, blockbuster three-team trade on Feb. 2, 2025 -- had 35 points in the win for Los Angeles, which is in the midst of an eight-game road trip.

Trade winds continue to swirl around the Lakers ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5. Los Angeles has five players in the final year of their contracts, including LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.

Los Angeles coaches and players are aware of the upcoming trade deadline, but guard Marcus Smart said the team needs to maintain focus.

"We're all professionals and we've got to come out and do our jobs no matter what," Smart said. "So, the human element does come into play sometimes and you've just got to be able to snap out of it quicker than what we are doing."

Doncic had 32 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the loss to the Clippers, while James scored 23 points.

Coach JJ Redick was disappointed by his team's play in the first half, when the Lakers trailed 64-47 after recording just seven assists.

"We just didn't trust each other on the offensive end, not enough passing," Redick said. "That's a consistent thing when we don't play well, we don't pass to each other."

--Field Level Media