The Los Angeles Lakers host the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night in their 2012-2013 NBA season opener, hoping that history repeats itself at Staples Center. The Lakers have owned the Mavericks in Los Angeles.
This comes with the caveat that the Mavericks did win two playoff games in Los Angeles in 2011, part of their four-game sweep of the Lakers in the second round two seasons ago. Prior to that, the two teams hadn't met in the playoffs since 1988, but the Lakers were 10-0 at home against Dallas before those two defeats.
The regular season has been a different story, as the Lakers have won 37 of their last 41 home games against the Mavericks, which included a 26-game home winning streak from 1991 to 2003. Since Staples Center opened in the 1999-2000 season, the Lakers are 20-4 at home against Dallas.
Last year the Lakers beat the Mavericks in all four games, including two in Dallas. But three of the games were decided by five points or less, including wins at home by a scores of 73-70 and 112-108, the latter in overtime.
The Lakers might be without Kobe Bryant on Tuesday, but against a Dallas squad without both Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman, Los Angeles should be able to pull out another home win against the Mavericks.