Lakers Look For Third Straight Win Vs. Mavs

The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Dallas Mavericks in hopes of sweeping their road trip and wining their third game in a row

On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Dallas Mavericks to conclude a road trip that will be viewed as a success regardless of what happens at the American Airlines Center. The Mavs lost three of their first seven games, but Dallas has won five straight entering Friday night.

Monta Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki have been splitting Dallas' scoring load this season with Ellis averaging 19.7 points per game and Nowitzki averaging 19.1 points per game. Ellis is coming off a 34-point outing against the Washington Wizards, but the 36-year-old Nowitzki was drawing praise for hitting a big three late in the game.

On the subject of 36-year-olds, Kobe Bryant still leads the NBA in scoring with 27.5 points per game. In Houston, he scored 29 points and logged 40 minutes on the second night of a back-to-back. At this point, the on-court evidence makes it impossible to question the shooting guard's condition and recovery from major injuries.

Bryant may be the ringleader, but he has help.

Jordan Hill has already collected six double-doubles through 12 games this season. In particular, Hill has been finishing games with put-backs and offensive rebounds that have been crucial in winning games. With 4.7 offensive rebounds per game, Jordan Hill leads the NBA. Also, the big man's jump shot started falling again, and Hill appears comfortable in the Lakers' offense.

If Hill has been finishing strong, Carlos Boozer has been doing the opposite. Boozer has been aggressively scoring the basketball early in games before trailing off a bit in second halves. Against Houston, Boozer struggled mightily in the third and fourth quarters. With Hill and Boozer taking turns offensively, the Lakers appear to be developing a formula for success.

The Lakers' biggest asset at the moment--excluding Kobe Bryant--is Nick Young. The lively personality has drawn significant attention for entering a team locker room that was bordering on toxic and changing it into a happy environment where guys started having fun again. Most importantly, Young's return has resulted in two wins straight wins.

The Lakers and Mavericks tip-off in Dallas at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

Notes: Steve Nash and Julius Randle remain sidelined for the remainder of the season. Ryan Kelly is out due to a torn hamstring. Wayne Ellington returns after missing six games due to a family tragedy.

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