NBA schedule slots first Lakers–Mavericks showdown for NBA Cup
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The first regular-season meeting between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks next season is expected to take place during the group stage of the Emirates NBA Cup at the end of November, according to league sources cited by reporter Marc Stein.
The provisional schedule, which the NBA traditionally finalizes in mid-August, positions the high-profile matchup in Los Angeles rather than on Opening Night or Christmas Day. Earlier reports indicated the Lakers will begin the season against the Golden State Warriors and face the Houston Rockets on Dec. 25.
The November contest will mark the first time Luka Doncic faces the Mavericks since the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Lakers. The Slovenian guard spent the offseason overhauling his conditioning and has publicly sought to debunk criticism surrounding his departure from Dallas.
Because Dallas and Los Angeles share an NBA Cup group, the Mavericks will travel to Crypto.com Arena for the late-November game. If healthy, it will also be Anthony Davis’s first appearance in Los Angeles since joining Dallas; the forward missed the Mavericks’ visit last season due to injury.
A date for Doncic’s return to Dallas has not yet surfaced. In his first game as a visiting player at American Airlines Center last season, he scored 45 points.
Separately, the Lakers are slated to visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 28, a matchup that annually draws attention as LeBron James returns to his home state. The trip could be his final appearance in Cleveland wearing a Lakers uniform.
Source: LakersNation.com
