Mavericks-Lakers Preview

By JUSTIN EINHORN
Posted Apr 14 2012 7:11PM

After the Dallas Mavericks swept them out of last year's postseason, the Los Angeles Lakers now could return the favor. Doing it without Kobe Bryant might further build their confidence for a potential playoff rematch.

While coach Mike Brown will return, Bryant is unlikely to get back in action as the surging Lakers go for a season sweep of the defending NBA champions Sunday at Staples Center.

The offseason trade of Lamar Odom to the Mavericks appeared to further turn the tide against Los Angeles in this rivalry, but that deal was a bust - Dallas says Odom won't play again this season - and the Lakers have won all three meetings.

A Lakers sweep wouldn't be nearly as shocking as the Mavericks needing only four games to oust Los Angeles in the Western Conference semifinals last May. That could have signaled the end of Bryant's Lakers being a true title contender, particularly with them trailing the Clippers in the Pacific Division for much of this season, but they've gone 15-6 since March 8 to regain first place.

That leaves Los Angeles (38-22) as the No. 3 seed in the West, and Dallas (34-26) currently is sixth. If the Mavs and Lakers remain in those spots, they would meet to open the playoffs.

Los Angeles just hopes Bryant is fully healthy by then. He's missed the last four games with a bruised shin and even though he is no longer wearing a protective boot, Brown said Saturday that the NBA scoring leader is likely to take another game off.

The Lakers were blown out by Phoenix in their first game without Bryant but have won the last three, including one at Southeast Division-leading San Antonio.

"When we play hard and when we play well as a team, a lot of good things happen for us," said Pau Gasol, who has a combined 51 points in the last two meetings with Dallas after averaging 12.5 in last year's playoff series.

"With or without Kobe, that's something that's standard for this team."

Gasol's team returned home Friday and defeated Denver 103-97, clinching a playoff spot despite Brown's absence due to personal reasons.

"You can tell that these guys went out tonight and wanted to represent Mike Brown as best they could and that's what they did," said assistant John Kuester, who took over for Brown.

Andrew Bynum scored 30 points, two nights after grabbing 30 rebounds against the Spurs. He's averaging 23.7 points and 13.7 boards over the past six games.

Also stepping up lately are Metta World Peace, averaging 18.0 points over the past five games, and Matt Barnes, who is 17 of 24 from the field in the last three and scored a season-best 24 on Friday.

"With Kobe out, guys need to step up, but at the same time, not do too much," Barnes said. "We're playing good team basketball right now."

So are the Mavericks, who have had at least five double-figure scorers during their current three-game win streak.

No more than three Dallas players reached double digits in any of this season's meetings with Los Angeles, and the Mavs shot a combined 39.3 percent from the field.

"Right now, you just have to pile up 'W's.' I don't care how you get them; you just have to get them," said Shawn Marion, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds in Friday's 97-94 win at Portland.

Marion helped limit Bryant to 29 points on 11-of-37 shooting through the first two meetings - Dallas lost by a combined eight points - but he missed the last one as Bryant scored 30 in the Lakers' easy 109-93 win March 21. Without Bryant around this time, that leaves Marion to focus on World Peace or Barnes.

Kobe-less Lakers hold off Mavs in overtime 112-108

By GREG BEACHAM
Posted Apr 15 2012 7:58PM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Sure, Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers are well aware a regular-season sweep means nothing compared to a playoff sweep.

The Lakers are still pleased they're controlling this rivalry with the Dallas Mavericks heading to another postseason in which they just might meet again - and they even did it without Kobe Bryant.

Andrew Bynum had 23 points and 16 rebounds, Gasol made back-to-back 3-pointers in overtime, and the Lakers won their fourth straight game without the NBA's leading scorer, 112-108 over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Ramon Sessions scored 22 points, and Gasol had 20 points and 10 rebounds as Los Angeles rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit before finishing off a four-game season sweep of the defending champion Mavericks, who swept the two-time champion Lakers out of last season's playoffs.

"This team eliminated us last year, and they're the champs right now," said Gasol, who buried his sixth and seventh 3-pointers of the season in OT. "If we face them again, I don't know if this 4-0 in the regular season will be worth a whole lot. We'll have to start over and make sure we play as hard as we've been playing lately."

Coach Mike Brown thought the Lakers put together a remarkable team effort in Bryant's absence, with everybody on the floor in overtime contributing a key play. Matt Barnes' cagey defense capped the OT effort against Jason Terry, who missed what should have been an easy tying layup with 5 seconds left.

With the Lakers holding the No. 3 spot in the West playoff picture and the Mavs at No. 6, both teams realize they could meet again in two weeks. The Lakers boosted their lead over the Clippers atop the Pacific Division to 1 1/2 games with six to play. The Lakers also have the tiebreaker edge on their next-door rivals.

"We're excited about the playoffs, but we're still going to have that bitter taste in our mouths until then," Barnes said.

Barnes had 11 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and Los Angeles' key defensive play, and Metta World Peace scored 18 points for the Lakers, who are 4-1 while Bryant rests his bruised shin. Bryant is still contributing to the Lakers by shouting out instruction and encouragement from the bench, but his teammates are figuring out how to win when they can't count on Kobe to take the big shot.

"Metta, Andrew, myself, we all feel we have to step up in Kobe's absence," Gasol said. "A different guy can do it every game."

Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points on 9-of-28 shooting and 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, whose three-game winning streak ended. Delonte West scored 20 points, and Terry had 21 before overthinking his drive and jamming a layup into the underside of the rim while trying to avoid Barnes' defense.

"I solely take the blame for it," Terry said. "I command and ask for the ball in that situation, and to not be able to deliver for the team is an utter disappointment. ... Give (Barnes) credit, it was a savvy defensive play, but if I do it again, I know what kind of play I'm going to make."

Gasol added two free throws with 0.5 seconds left in the Lakers' fifth straight regular-season win over Dallas.

Both teams had chances to win near the regulation buzzer, but Sessions missed an awkward shot with 1.5 seconds to play, and Nowitzki clanged a 3-point attempt off the back rim.

While the Mavericks claimed Barnes goaltended one of the Lakers' overtime baskets, they also blamed themselves for a middling effort.

"I just have to make some shots," said Nowitzki, an unimpressive 36 for 95 over his last five games. "I was more of a volume shooter, and that's not the way I want to play. I want to be an efficient scorer. I've got some work to do."

Gasol gave the lead back to the Lakers on consecutive corner 3's, with Nowitzki's third 3-pointer sandwiched between them. World Peace put the Lakers up 110-106 with a fadeaway jumper with 1:04 to play.

Bynum has been fighting a respiratory infection, but coach Mike Brown described him as "an absolute beast" against Dallas. After a slow start in the first half, Bynum returned to the dominant form he showed while getting 30 rebounds and scoring 30 points in consecutive games, a feat last accomplished by Moses Malone in 1982.

During a midgame interview with ABC, Bryant said his shin feels much better, and he intends to return to the Lakers well before the playoffs. Bryant is walking without discomfort, but the 28.1-points-per-game All-Star hasn't played since April 6.

Bryant has missed just 100 games in his 16-season NBA career, including the past five. If Bryant plans to return soon, Los Angeles has just five games remaining, including Tuesday's visit from San Antonio, before the postseason.

"That's Coach Bryant now," Sessions said. "He's over there drawing stuff up on the board. He's pulling us over to the side and helping us out tremendously."

NOTES: Lamar Odom is still listed on the Mavericks' roster, but the longtime Lakers forward won't play again this season for Dallas, which acquired him early in training camp after the Lakers' aborted trade for Chris Paul hurt Odom's feelings. ... Dallas' Jason Kidd went 3 for 4 on 3-pointers after going 0 for 8 in Dallas' previous visit to Staples Center this season.

Notebook: Lakers 112, Mavericks 108

Posted Sunday April 15, 2012 8:27PM

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: With their leading scorer and designated closer sidelined for a fifth consecutive game, the Lakers needed others to step up down the stretch Sunday afternoon against the visiting Mavericks. They got what they needed. Ramon Sessions helped the Lakers get into overtime with three key baskets down the stretch of regulation, Pau Gasol matched his career high with two 3-pointers early in overtime and Metta World Peace sank a crucial jumper with just over a minute remaining, lifting the Lakers to a 112-108 victory at Staples Center.

QUOTABLE: "Obviously, it's not a shot I take very often, but I have taken a few more this year than I have in my career. I've worked on it and it works out sometimes."
-- Gasol on his 3-point baskets

THE STAT: The Lakers have won four consecutive games without Kobe Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer who's still nursing a bruised left shin. The last three wins have come against playoff-caliber teams, the Spurs, Nuggets and Mavericks.

TURNING POINT: Sessions scored seven of his 22 points in the final six minutes of regulation to pull the Lakers back from a five-point deficit, but missed a 14-footer with 1.5 seconds remaining that would have won the game. Gasol, who came in with 24 3-pointers in his 11-year career, sank back-to-back 3s from in front of the Dallas bench to match his career high for a game. That gave the Lakers the lead for good, 106-104, with 2:55 left in overtime, and World Peace sank an 18-foot fadeaway with 1:04 left to push the advantage to four points. Jason Terry had a chance to tie the score, but missed a four-foot runner with three seconds left and the ball ended up in the hands of the Lakers, allowing Gasol to seal the win with two free throws with a half-second on the clock.

HOT: The Lakers received great balance from their starters, as well as another strong game off the bench from Matt Barnes. Andrew Bynum bounced back from a slow start, possibly due to an upper respiratory illness, and finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds. Sessions scored 22 points, highlighted by his fourth-quarter surge, and Gasol scored eight of his 20 points in overtime and grabbed 10 rebounds. Barnes just missed a triple-double, finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high eight assists.

NOT: The opening quarter was anything but a display of effective front-court play. Bynum, Gasol and the two 7-footers for Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki and Brendan Haywood, were a combined 1-for-15 from the floor with three points. Nowitzki missed his first seven field-goal attempts before finding his shot in spurts. He still finished 9-for-28 from the floor with 24 points and 14 rebounds. In the four-game sweep by the Lakers this season, Nowitzi was a combined 36-for-90 (40 percent).

QUOTABLE II: "He had some opportunities that he missed. We've got to get him some better looks. Nine-for-28 is not a Dirk Nowitzki night."
--Dallas coach Rick Carlisle

GOOD MOVE: Dallas guard Delonte West was the best player on the floor during the first half, scoring 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Lakers coach Mike Brown made the decision to move World Peace away from Shawn Marion and stick him on West. That seemed to do the trick, as West made just one basket and scored four points the rest of the way.

BAD MOVE: After Terry missed his final runner in overtime, the ball ended up in the hands of Marion, but he threw it right to Barnes on the perimeter. Barnes was immediately fouled by West, leaving 3.8 seconds on the game clock to either force a turnover on the in-bounds pass, or immediately send one of the Lakers to the free throw line. Marion didn't do either. Instead, he tried to nudge Gasol into a traveling violation after he caught the in-bounds pass, wasting about three seconds off the clock. By the time Gasol was finally fouled by Marion, only a half-second remained in the game. Gasol ended some of the second-guessing by making both free throws to extend the lead to four points.

NOTABLE: Bryant told a television reporter during a break in the action that he intends to return before the playoffs. The Lakers have five games remaining ... The Lakers improved to 9-1 in overtime games over the last two seasons. In their last 24 overtime games, they are 21-3 ... The Mavericks played without backup guard Roddy Beaubois, who strained his calf Friday in Portland ... Dallas fell to 18-2 this season when scoring at least 100 points ... Nowitzki went over the 24,000-point mark for his career, joining Bryant and Kevin Garnett as the only active players in that group.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Tuesday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday @ Golden State, Friday @ San Antonio, Sunday vs. Oklahoma City. For the Mavericks, Monday @ Utah, Wednesday vs. Houston, Friday vs. Golden State.

• Mavericks: Beaubois, Odom
• Lakers: Eyenga

• Mavericks: --
• Lakers: --

• Lead Changes: 17
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #48 Scott Foster, #30 John Goble, #33 Zach Zarba
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:42