Will LeBron James & Kristaps Porzingis Play Tonight? Mavericks vs Lakers: Predictions, Injury Report & Lineups

Los Angeles Lakers will be out for revenge when they face Dallas Mavericks in a repeat fixture tonight. The two teams are just separated by a single position in the Western Conference Table and the Mavericks can close the gap to 1.5 games with a win tonight.

Date & Time: April 24, 2021, 7:30pm ET

Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas

Record: Mavericks (32-26) vs Lakers (35-24)

Preview | Dallas Mavericks

 In their last meeting a couple of days ago, Dallas Mavericks beat the Lakers 115-110. However, the Lakers troubled their counterparts physically in the paint.

It caused Kristaps Porzingis to twist his ankle in the third quarter when he was attacking the rim against Andre Drummond. Fortunately, he’s avoided any major injury. And even though he exited the game in the third quarter, he is not ruled out to participate in this reverse fixture.

However, given his injury history, the Mavs won’t likely risk him for this game. Should Maxi Kleber recover from a back concern, he will likely take the Unicorn’s place in the starting lineup. Luka Doncic will again hold the key to their chances after recording a near 30-point triple-double previously.

Starting 5 for Dallas Mavericks

Guard – Luka Doncic

Guard – Josh Richardson

Center – Dwight Powell

Forward – Dorian Finney-Smith

Forward – Maxi Kleber

Preview | Los Angeles Lakers

Their form and play without their star player, LeBron James, remains ponderous. Bron is nowhere near a competitive return, as he will remain on the sidelines with his high ankle sprain.

Read More: Lakers’ President Jeanie Buss Reveals that She Feared LeBron James Could Leave After Horrendous First Season

But, on the bright side, Anthony Davis returned for the first time after more than a couple of months away against the Mavs on Thursday night. Although he featured in just 17 minutes of the on-court action, he recorded a few noticeable contributions on the defensive end of the floor. Even under a minute restriction, his presence will be invaluable to the Lakers on the court.

Starting 5 for Los Angeles Lakers

Guard – Dennis Schroder

Guard – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

Center – Andre Drummond

Forward – Kyle Kuzma

Forward – Anthony Davis

Predictions | Mavericks vs Lakers

The Mavs are the slight favorites for this NBA encounter. If they come out firing in the first quarter, there won’t be anything to stop them from winning this game.