Dallas will get another bite at the apple when they take on the LA Clippers in the second game of their two-game miniseries. It is also the second game of a four-game homestand that runs until Christmas. Hopefully the familiarity and comforts of home can help the Mavericks overcome the various illnesses and injuries the team has been dealing with over the last month or so.

Do you lace them?

Dallas lost the first game of this doubleheader but was without its two All-Star guards. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both sat out, but as of this writing, news is that Irving has had a full practice, while Doncic was able to get on the floor and take a few shots but did not fully participate in practice.

Things are certainly looking better for Irving than Doncic at this point, but there’s still a chance we see both of them play on Saturday night.

Defense is a team sport

Obviously the hope is that one or both of Doncic and Irving will be available, but if they aren’t, the underdog’s path to victory will be very narrow. With those two off the court, Dallas will have to find a way to reproduce the roughly 53 points they contribute on an average night. Not easy, as shown by Dallas’ 95 points on Thursday – by far the team’s lowest total this season.

A 23%+ shooting percentage from deep will help, but toughness and some team defense will go a long way toward keeping the Mavs in the game. Keeping the Clippers under a 50/40/90 team ratio would be a good start.

The knife factor

It goes without saying that Dallas will need big nights from its good scorers. Guys like Klay Thompson and Spenser Dinwiddie can always have big nights. PJ Washington is another guy Dallas can rely on most nights. However, his contributions on the offensive side could diminish due to his defensive responsibilities.

Naji Marshall, on the other hand, is a player who made huge strides the last time Doncic missed significant playing time. He scored more than 20 points in four games. On Thursday he had the most shots but only missed 4 of 12 from the field. There is room for improvement. A little more on the edge from guys like Kleber, Gafford and Grimes and Dallas has enough depth to pull off a tough win.

Here’s how to watch

You can broadcast or stream the game at 7:30 a.m. on NBAtv, Channel 29 or MavsTV