For the first time in 23 years, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks will face off in the playoffs. Game 1 of their second-round NBA playoff series is on Monday night, at Staples Center. Here are the relevant details, for tonight's game:
Who: Lakers (57-25), Mavericks (57-25)
Why: The Lakers are the No. 2 seed over the Mavericks by virtue of winning the Pacific Division, while Dallas finished behind the Spurs in the Southwest Division.
What: 2011 Western Conference Semifinals
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles
When: 7:30 p.m. PDT
TV: TNT
Previous Matchups: The Lakers beat the Mavericks in two of their three meetings this season, including a 28-point blowout on March 31 in the only game in Los Angeles.
Front Court Production: Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom combined for 51.7 points and 25.3 rebounds in 94.0 minutes in three games against Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, and Tyson Chandler combined for 46.3 points and 25.7 rebounds in 97.7 minutes against L.A.
Game 1 Importance: Phil Jackson is 48-0 when his teams win Game 1, including 24-0 in both Chicago and Los Angeles
Home Court Advantage: The Lakers are 76-15 at home in the playoffs since Staples Center opened in the 1999-2000 season. In addition, Dallas is 3-18 on the road in the playoffs dating back to the 2006 NBA Finals, though they did close out the Blazers in Portland in Round 1. The Lakers are 18-4 all-time at Staples Center against Dallas.
For more news on this second-round matchup, be sure to stay tuned to this story stream at SB Nation Los Angeles. For more NBA playoff coverage, check out SB Nation's playoff bracket and schedule. For more news and information on the Lakers, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Silver Screen and Roll.