Lakers vs. Mavericks: Final Showdown Amid Injury Crisis

The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers meet for the last time this regular season on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET, broadcast nationally on NBC/Peacock. Both teams enter the game shorthanded.

Lakers’ injury list

Los Angeles will be without its two recent stars. Luka Dončić is sidelined with a grade‑two hamstring strain, and guard Austin Reaves is out after an oblique strain that will keep him four to six weeks. Point guard Marcus Smart also sits with a right‑ankle contusion, while Jared Vanderbilt is listed as questionable.

Mavericks’ depleted roster

Dallas is missing Kyrie Irving, who is still recovering from left‑knee surgery, and forward Dereck Lively II, out after right‑foot surgery. Caleb Martin is nursing a plantar‑fascia issue.

Recent context

When the two clubs met on Jan. 24, the Lakers edged the Mavericks 116‑110 in a tightly contested game that saw Dončić post 33 points and 11 assists. That victory gave Los Angeles a fleeting glimpse of what a healthy lineup could achieve.

What’s at stake

The matchup carries playoff implications for both clubs. The Lakers, fighting for a postseason berth, must find a way to compete without Dončić’s playmaking. The Mavericks, already out of contention, look to end the season on a positive note and give rookie Cooper Flagg a chance to shine.

The stage is set for a drama‑filled showdown that could define the final chapter of an injury‑marred season for two storied franchises.