The Mavericks will need PJ Washington to play well alongside Klay Thompson amid Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's injury absences.

The Dallas Mavericks are going to be seriously shorthanded for the next little while. Kyrie Irving is expected to miss a week or two due to a bulging disc in his back, ESPN's Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon reported Monday,

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is expected to miss a minimum of one to two weeks due to "a bulging disc in his back," according to ESPN's Shams

The Los Angeles Lakers came off a 119-115 loss to the Houston Rockets looking to restart the momentum they had been building, and it looked like they had gotten a gift. They faced the Dallas Mavericks, who were without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, on Tuesday in Texas, and it seemed like it would be a likely win for them.

The Lakers' growing momentum came to a screeching halt Tuesday night with a 118-97 loss to an undermanned Dallas Mavericks team at American Airlines Center, dropping Los Angeles to 0-2 on its Texas two-step trip that started with a defeat in Houston.

Lakers badly beaten at Dallas, which ends a five-game losing streak when playing without three starters, including Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.