All the major headlines about this game will have to do with Luka Doncic making his return to Dallas, and rightfully so. Doncic matching up against his old Dallas Mavericks team for the first time on the road is the attention-grabbing narrative that everyone should be mindful of. However, there are layers to why this matchup is so important for the Los Angeles Lakers.
There are three games left in the 2024-25 regular season for the Lakers. Two games is all that separates them from the eighth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference standings. A win against the Mavericks goes a long way.
Lakers' clinching scenarios for road game in Dallas
The Lakers already have a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament for this season. That being said, Los Angeles would be best-suited to avoid that at all costs. A win against the Mavericks would help them do that.
A victory in Dallas would officially clinch the Lakers' spot in the postseason. With a handful of tiebreaker scenarios working in their favor at the moment, Los Angeles would not slip out of the top six seeds should they secure their 49th win of this campaign.
It does not end there. The Lakers can also clinch the Pacific Division tonight. If they win against the Mavericks, losses from the Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors would officially wrap up that race too. The Clippers will be hosting the Houston Rockets tonight. Meanwhile, the Warriors will welcome the San Antonio Spurs to town.
Dorian Finney-Smith told Jovan Buha a while back that Los Angeles is certainly mindful of their positioning in the playoff race. The two-way forward made that abundantly clear.
Finney-Smith said, “Everybody is paying attention, I can’t lie. ... Everybody [will] be looking at the standings. We don’t want to be in the Play-In, so every game matters.”
If JJ Redick and his crew are that tuned into the importance of the standings, there should be no doubt they are well-informed ahead of tonight's contest. Ensuring a win in what is sure to be an emotional affair against Doncic's old team will be important for not only adequately supporting Luka in a pivotal moment, but properly situating themselves ahead of the NBA Playoffs.