Injury-Plagued Mavericks Face Uphill Battle Against Lakers

Dallas struggles to end a five-game losing streak as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Daniel Gafford remain sidelined.

The Dallas Mavericks are on a five-game losing streak, their longest since 2021, with key players Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Daniel Gafford out due to injuries.
Luka Doncic, the team's leading scorer and playmaker, has been out since Christmas with a calf strain and will be re-evaluated at the end of January.
Kyrie Irving is sidelined for 1-2 weeks due to a bulging disc in his back, while Daniel Gafford is expected to miss time after spraining his ankle in Monday's loss to Memphis.
Head coach Jason Kidd has emphasized the need for Klay Thompson, a veteran and four-time NBA champion, to step up and lead the depleted roster.
The Mavericks host the Los Angeles Lakers, who have won seven of their last ten games, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James leading the charge for the fourth-seeded team in the West.