LOS ANGELES – The Mavericks will be in Los Angeles so long this week that they could easily call it their official home away from
home.
After arriving in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Mavs will play the Lakers in LA on Wednesday, then play the Clippers on Saturday before returning home to play five of their ensuing six games at American Airlines Center. And by the time this road trip is history, the Mavs (9-5) will have played 10 of their first 16 games this season on the road.
“We’ve been on the road so much — as you see on the schedule,” guard Tim Hardaway Jr. said. “It’s going to be a whole other day at the office just enjoying the sun in LA and being able to go out there and playing in front of our peers and friends.
“I know some guys have family out there, so it’s going to be fun. And we’re a family, so that’s all that matters.”
Despite losing three of their last four games, the Mavs still own the fourth-best record in the Western Conference behind Minnesota (10-4), Denver 
(10-4) and Oklahoma City (10-4). Meanwhile, Hardaway believes opponents go out of their way to make sure they bring their top game to the table when they play the Mavs.
“We’re taking everybody’s best shot,” Hardaway said. “We just got to do a great job of just making sure that we stay composed through the good times, the bad times, and when teams make their run or we make a run.
“We just got to have that even keel mentality on both ends of the floor.”
That even keel mentality on both ends of the floor is likely what it’ll take to dethrone a Laker (9-6) team that comes in Wednesday toting a three-game winning streak.
“The coaches give us the game plan, the coaches give us the X’s and O’s,” Hardaway said. “But as players we just got to do a great job of
making sure we stay locked in, know our personnel, know the game plan and go out there and execute.”
*The Mavs are coming off Sunday’s disappointing 129-113 loss at home to the Sacramento Kings. But the starting time of that game came less than 24 hours after the Mavs returned home from a nine-day road trip which ended
with Saturday’s 132-125 loss in Milwaukee.
*This is the second night of a back-to-back for the Lakers. But they had a relatively easy time on their home court Tuesday in the first leg of this back-to-back when they ran over the Utah Jazz, 131-99. The Lakers led, 62-41, at the half and 102-75 after the third quarter. Lakers’ starters LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Cam Reddish didn’t even play in the fourth quarter.
*Mavs guard Luka Doncic is leading the way for the Mavs with 30.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 8.1 apg. Doncic is third in the league in scoring, sixth in assists, 
and second in three-pointers made 4.1 per game).
*Lakers forward LeBron James made history Tuesday against the Jazz when he became the first NBA player ever to score at least 39,000 career points. James, who turns 39 on Dec. 30, had 17 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in just 24 minutes against the Jazz. James averages 26.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 6.5 apg.
*Mavs guard Kyrie Irving is averaging 23.9 ppg and 6.1 apg. With an average of 18.2 ppg, Tim Hardaway Jr. is in the mix for this season’s Sixth Man Award. Grant Williams is averaging 11.1 ppg.
*Lakers center Anthony Davis collected 26 points, 10 rebounds and two steals in Tuesday’s lopsided victory over Utah. After the first quarter, Davis already had picked up 11 points and nine rebounds. Davis is averaging 22 ppg, and in first in the NBA in blocks (3.3 bpg) and fourth in rebounds (11.7 rpg). Also for the Lakers, D’Angelo Russell (17.4 ppg, 6.2 apg), Austin Reaves (13.4 ppg) and Rui Hachimura (12 ppg) have acquitted themselves admirably, while former Mavs center Christian Wood is averaging 6.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg in 20.6 mpg.
DALLAS MAVERICKS (9-5) at LOS ANGELES LAKERS (9-6)
When: 9:30 p.m., Wednesday
Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles
TV: BSSW
Radio: 97.1 FM The Freak; 99.1 FM Zona MX (Spanish)
X: @DwainPrice
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