Mavericks Christmas Day Announcement Sets Up Revenge Game for Sharpshooting Vet

When the NBA announced the Christmas Day slate for the upcoming 2025-26 season this week, some Dallas Mavericks fans might've predicted that a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers was going to make the card, remembering that Luka Doncic's last game in a Mavs uniform was on Dec. 25 before injuring his calf and ... you know the rest. Dallas already had a Cooper Flagg vs. Bronny James showcase in the Summer League, and the two are scheduled to square off again in a televised preseason game this October. This, of course, comes after the most-watched game of the season last year when Doncic returned to America Airlines Center in tears and torched the Mavs with 45 points.