DALLAS — With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, it’s as important as ever for the Lakers to keep any small flicker of hope alive.

So even though Coach Frank Vogel didn’t expect LeBron James and Anthony Davis to be available Tuesday night against the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers didn’t officially rule out either star forward the day before because of the minuscule chance that one of them might come through.

But, no – it wasn’t to be. Neither played on Tuesday night, as the Lakers started their 36th different lineup of the season with both James and Davis ailing. And according to a TNT report, they both might miss at least one more game.

“We knew they were both most likely (out) but wanted to give it overnight to make sure that they either didn’t have a change of heart or a dramatic improvement in their injuries,” Vogel said shortly before tip-off. “And they did not.”

The Lakers were able to practice in Dallas on Monday, during which Davis was able to fully participate in contact and scrimmaging, which Vogel called a “positive sign.” Now, it’s all about how Davis (who missed his 17th consecutive game with a mid-foot sprain) responds to his increasing workload, as well as how quickly he can get into game shape. TNT reported that Davis might target home games this weekend (either against New Orleans on Friday or Denver on Sunday) as return dates.

James didn’t practice on Monday after twisting his left ankle the night before. While the severity of the sprain is not public knowledge, TNT reported during the first quarter on Tuesday that James is not expected to return Thursday in Utah as the Lakers desperately scrape to keep a spot in the play-in tournament.

Acknowledging the seriousness of James’ injury, Vogel called it: “the latest, and maybe biggest, blow to our psyche.”

Vogel at least left open the possibility that both could play either Thursday in Utah or Friday at home against the Pelicans: “We’ll see where those guys are at on Thursday and make that call then.”

Without James and Davis, the Lakers were without their two leading scorers (combined 53.2 ppg), rebounders (17.9 rpg) and shot-blockers (3.4 bpg). Entering Tuesday night, the Lakers were 0-2 this season in games in which both Davis and James sat out.

Vogel said he expected the Lakers to keep their engagement high whether James and Davis are available or not.

“The playoffs start for other teams whenever the actual regular season ends, but every game matters for us right now, so there’s a playoff series element to these final games,” he said. “And you start talking about what the mindset is, the intensity is just a notch higher, the focus has to be a notch higher.”

TNT also reported that Kendrick Nunn, who has not played a regular-season game after signing in L.A. as a free agent, is expected to miss the season entirely despite an MRI coming later in the week. It’s a move that has been foreshadowed by the Lakers: When Vogel was asked about why Nunn had not been ruled out for the season as of last week, he called it “a good question.”

KIDD SAYS JAMES IS ‘GREATEST OF ALL TIME’

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd is plenty cozy with James, first as an Olympic teammate in 2012, then for two years as a Lakers assistant coach. But does he think James is better than Michael Jordan?

Kidd laughed a little at the “barbershop question” that is bound to spark unending debate all over the country – but perhaps surprisingly, he did weigh in.

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“I think LeBron will go down as the greatest to do it,” he said. “When you look at what his numbers (are), what he’s done on and off the floor, no one has done that. You got to put the whole package together. He’s the greatest of all time.”

Kidd’s Hall of Fame playing career (1994-2013) overlaps the most with James’, but he had some seasons in which he played against Jordan, generally considered the greatest player of all time. But Kidd doesn’t have the intimate relationship with Jordan that he has with James, and Kidd developed an appreciation for James’ competitiveness while watching it up close. Now as James contends for a possible season scoring title at 37, Kidd said he was in awe.

“He’s always going to set the bar,” Kidd said. “The legends before him have set the bar when you talk about Mike, Kobe and those guys. Now he’s taken that bar and he’s raised it a little higher than those guys. So, I think it’s great for our younger generation because someone else is going to get there one day and raise it. But his focus is like no other. He understands the moment.”