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The Los Angeles Lakers, with or without Anthony Davis, are all set to take on the Dallas Mavericks tonight. The two teams are neck and neck in the Western Conference standings.
The Lakers enter this game on the back of a two-game winning streak after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Orlando Magic. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have also won their last two games against the OKC Thunder and the Charlotte Hornets.
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The Lakers begin a three-game road trip at Dallas as the 17-time champions find themselves sixth in the Western Conference. They have a 15-13 record and are just two games behind fourth seed Memphis Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Dallas are just half a game behind tonight's opposition as they hold a 14-13 record in the west.
Superstar Anthony Davis has been one of the driving forces behind the Lakers this season during the absence of LeBron James. The Lakers' struggling start to the season has seen Anthony Davis come under immense scrutiny despite averaging 24 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. He has also shot better than 52% from the field.
What is Anthony Davis' status for tonight's game against the Dallas Mavericks?
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has been upgraded to probable after initially being listed as questionable for the game against the Dallas Mavericks. Davis is still said to be facing issues with knee soreness.
When will Anthony Davis return?
While there isn't a clear timeline as to the return of Anthony Davis, coach Frank Vogel has said that he will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis. There was no structural damage after the ultrasound and it remains to be seen if Davis will take any part in the game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The 28-year-old has already missed two consecutive games with knee soreness. In all likelihood, Davis will miss the game against the Mavericks as well due to the same problem.
How does Anthony Davis' absence impact the Lakers?
One of the key figures for the Lakers, AD's absence is a huge loss for the team as they try to establish chemistry between their three superstars. Davis has shot a paltry 19.2% from beyond the arc this season and that has hurt the Lakers' quest to move up the Western Conference standings a lot.
His replacements are DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. However, with the latter being put into quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, Jordan in all likelihood will play heavy minutes in Davis' absence.
Vogel might also try to experiment with playing LeBron James as a center, which he has done on a couple of occasions this season. The strategy allows the Lakers to surround James with four shooters and clear the pathway to the basket.
