NBA on TNT: Luka Dončić Looks For Revenge in Lakers-Mavs Showdown

The Lakers and Mavericks will square off for the first time since their blockbuster trade. Here’s a preview and how to watch with Sling.

When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić on the night of Feb. 1, it wasn’t just the blockbuster trade of the NBA season. It was one of the biggest trades in any sport in all of history (see this lengthy Wikipedia article for evidence).

If NBA fans from Texas to Southern California were utterly shocked, one can only imagine how Dončić and former Lakers forward Anthony Davis felt. Although Davis was injured in his first game with his new team, Dončić will get his first shot at revenge on Dallas when the Lakers and Mavericks tip-off on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Here’s a preview of the game and how to watch it with Sling.

How to Watch Lakers-Mavericks With Sling

The first Lakers-Mavericks showdown since the trade will air live on TNT at 10pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 25. To watch with Sling, subscribe to Sling Orange (which also includes ESPN), Sling Blue, or Orange + Blue. You can also watch on Max by adding it to your Sling subscription. Use the link below to subscribe to Sling Orange!

https://main--sling--aemsites.aem.page/aemedge/fragments/try-sling-orange

Now here’s a quick look at the storylines for the game.

Luka Will ‘Look to Hurt People’s Feelings’

That’s a quote from ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith, not Dončić himself, but if you’ve ever watched the Slovenian play, you know that it’s true. Dončić has a fiery temperament on the court, and considering that the team he helped lead to the NBA Finals last season sent him packing less than a year later, he should be downright nuclear for tonight’s matchup. The question is whether his strong emotions will help his performance or hinder it.

Will LeBron Get in the (End)Zone?

While Luka will no doubt look to shoot, he’s also playing alongside the NBA’s all-time scoring leader in LeBron James. In Saturday’s big win over the red-hot Denver Nuggets, Luka had a game-high 32 points, but also 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals. That speaks to his all-around greatness, so while Dončić could struggle to reach his over/under of 31.5 points, his overall impact should be significant.

Specifically, Luka has been an excellent facilitator for LeBron in their short time as teammates. In fact, LeBron recently used a football analogy to compare their skillsets:

Can Dallas Pull Off the Upset?

There’s a reason we haven’t said much about the Mavericks up to this point: In part because of injuries to Davis and Daniel Gafford, who won’t play tonight. P.J. Washington and Dwight Powell are game time decisions, but this has been middling over the past month. Kyrie Irving has been his usual high-scoring self averaging 27 points per game since the trade. But the Mavs will need help from Klay Thompson and former Laker Max Christie, who was a part of the Luka trade. It will have to be a collective effort if they’re to overcome L.A.’s -9.5 point spread, much less win outright.