Tonight at 8:30 p.m. the Los Angeles Lakers (2-2) will travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks (2-1) and continue to surprise NBA observers with their competence in the absence of Kobe Bryant. Live stream the game here; Lakers fans can listen to the game on 710 ESPN, while Mavericks fans can hear the action on Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket.
The new Lakers may be a far cry from "Showtime," but Pau Gasol is averaging 15.8 points and 11 rebounds a night as the unquestioned centerpiece of the team while Bryant mends his Achilles tendon. Without an offensive star beyond Gasol, Mike D'Antoni has utilized his whole roster, regularly playing 11 players on a nightly basis.
"We're still trying to find the right combinations and rack up the wins while we do it," reserve Xavier Henry said. "We have a lot of new guys, and a lot of guys still need to learn how to play with each other. We're trying new lineups and stuff, so we're still going to be working and trying to compete."
The Mavericks have a new look about them as well, with point guard Jose Calderon running the show. They Mavs are putting up 111 points per game, which is nice, but defensively they've regressed and are giving up 107 points a night on average. That figure is unlike a Rick Carlisle-coached team, and it is upsetting forward Shawn Marion as well.
"We can score the ball like we should, but we've got to play defense, too," Marion said. In addition to stopping Gasol in the post, Henry has proven vital to this team in the early going. He scored a career-high 22 points when the Lakers upset the Clippers in the opener, but is a combined 4-of-17 from the field in Lakers' losses.
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