LOS ANGELES — With their 135-118 win over the Clippers on Tuesday, the Lakers not only secured their spot in the NBA Cup’s knockout rounds, but they also guaranteed themselves at least a portion ($53,000) of the tournament’s prize money.
And while the Lakers’ Friday home game against the Dallas Mavericks will also have NBA Cup implications, the connection between the two franchises could be on full display.
Friday will be Luka Doncic’s third matchup against his former team since the Mavericks traded him to Los Angeles in early February.
It’ll also be the first game between the Lakers and Mavericks since Dallas fired former General Manager Nico Harrison just nine months after spearheading the controversial trade of Doncic.
The Lakers won the previous matchups against the Mavericks: 107-99 on Feb. 25 in Doncic’s first game against Dallas in Los Angeles, and 112-97 on April 9 in the 6-foot-8 Slovenian guard’s first game back at American Airlines Center after the trade.
“Just, the city of Dallas, the fans, the players, they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Doncic said in the immediate aftermath of Harrison’s firing. “I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t. So, that will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home. But right now I’m focused on the Lakers and trying to move on. But obviously, always there will be a part of me there. But just trying to move on and focus on what I’m doing here.”
Friday could also be the first game that Anthony Davis, who the Lakers sent to the Mavericks as part of the three-team transaction in which they acquired Doncic, plays against the Lakers in Los Angeles since the trade.
Davis sat out of the Feb. 25 matchup at Crypto.com Arena because of a left adductor/groin injury. He played in the April 9 matchup between the teams in Dallas.
Davis was a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team and helped the Lakers win the NBA title in the bubble in 2020.
He’s missed the last 14 games because of a left calf strain. Davis could make his return when the Mavericks come to Southern California this weekend, with a matchup against the Clippers on Saturday for a back-to-back set.
“You know what game I want to play,” Davis told reporters in Dallas. “But we’ll see. We’ll have a conversation and see what makes the most sense with the medical and coaching staff.”
The Lakers (13-4) already secured their spot in the NBA Cup’s next round by winning West Group B, winning their first three games of the tournament.
If they beat the Mavericks, they could secure the No. 1 seed in the West’s side of the tournament’s bracket, which would lead to them having homecourt advantage for their quarterfinals matchup on Dec. 9 or Dec. 10.
Regardless of Friday’s result, the Lakers could still host their quarterfinal matchups depending on the result of other tournament games.
“I really enjoyed it as a broadcaster, covering it, talking about it,” Coach JJ Redick said. “Didn’t get an opportunity to compete for the Cup last year. So we’re excited. I mean, $53,000 is a lot of money. It’s just, it is, so I’m there’s some extra motivation. Coaches do get to split a share. I think the head coach might get a full share. So it’s motivation for sure.”
MAVERICKS AT LAKERS
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/Radio: Amazon Prime Video/710 AM