Besides, Dallas just made it to the Finals last year largely on the strength of its defense. From the P.J. Washington trade to the end of the 2023-24 campaign, the Mavericks were seventh in points allowed per 100 possessions. In the playoffs, the Thunder and Celtics were the only teams that made it past the first round and had better defenses.

The Dallas Mavericks hosted the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, with the Lakers coming away with a 112-97 win. It was one of the most heavily anticipated regular season games in recent NBA memory as Luka Doncic returned to the American Airlines Center.