Dallas @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 23, 2018 ) Dallas 102, L.A. Lakers 124

The Los Angeles Lakers expect to have second-year forward Brandon Ingram back in the lineup when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Ingram has missed the past 12 games with a groin injury but he returned to practice Tuesday and was upgraded to questionable on the injury report.

The Lakers are 5-7 since Ingram went down March 1 in Miami after compiling a 16-8 mark over the previous 24 games. "Having him back is going to mean a lot for us," point guard Lonzo Ball said after Monday's 112-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons. "Make sure he's comfortable and after that we definitely can use him." Dallas halted a five-game slide by posting a 103-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings to improve a lackluster road record to 9-27. "We played loose out there, we had fun, we moved the ball and we got defensive stops," backup small forward Doug McDermott told reporters after contributing 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Dallas), Spectrum Sports Net (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (23-51): Longtime face of the franchise Dirk Nowitzki insisted once again Tuesday that he will return for a 21st season and then endured his third straight subpar performance. Nowitzki, who is battling tendinitis in his left knee, had five points on 2-of-9 shooting in 20 minutes against the Kings and is averaging 4.3 points on 6-of-24 shooting during the three-game stretch. The 12-time All-Star turns 40 in June and the Mavericks hold a team option on the two-year, $10 million contract he signed prior to this season.

ABOUT THE LAKERS (32-41): Ball has come two rebounds short of a triple-double in each of the past two games and coach Luke Walton was thrilled with the rookie's shooting when he went 7-of-8 from the field while recording 15 points and 11 assists against Detroit. "He was under control all game," Walton told reporters. "The ones he was hitting were good shots, which I think kind of shows how much he has worked on his game. They were shots he wasn't even shooting earlier in the year." Ball has back-to-back double-digit outings after averaging 6.2 points on porous 14-of-67 shooting over a six-game stretch.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Lakers are 2-1 against the Mavericks this season after losing the previous 14 meetings.

2. Dallas PF Dwight Powell (knee) is expected to play after sitting out Tuesday.

3. Los Angeles G Isaiah Thomas (hip) will miss his third consecutive contest.

PREDICTION: Lakers 120, Mavericks 112