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Monday, Dec. 27 10:30pm ET
Lakers barely escaped with victory | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Lakers barely escaped with a victory over 0the lowly Dallas Mavericks, and coach Phil Jackson said he saw it coming. "I think it was kind of a holiday mood, it's better to give than to receive," the first-year Lakers coach said after his team edged the Mavericks 108-106 for its ninth straight victory and 16th in 17 games. "We almost gave the game away." The Lakers scored the deciding points on Kobe Bryant's two foul shots with 8.6 seconds remaining, giving them their 19th straight victory over the Mavericks -- longest such streak in the NBA. The Lakers, who also have beaten the Mavericks 19 times in a row at home, never trailed, but with Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley combining for their team's final 31 points, the upstart Mavericks took them down to the wire. "Those guys really came on like gangbusters," Jackson said. "I thought they had the energy to win." They almost did. Finley tried a 26-foot 3-point shot from straightaway in the final seconds that would have given Dallas the victory, but he missed, and Bryant got the rebound as time ran out. "I had a good look at it," Finley said. "It felt good from my hand, but unfortunately, it didn't go in. I think Kobe was playing me pretty much on the drive, and was going to stop me from going to the basket. Plus, the shot I took gave us a chance to win the game in regulation." In addition to their difficulties against the Lakers, the Mavericks (9-20) entered the game having lost eight of 10 including a 118-111 decision at Sacramento 24 hours earlier. The Lakers, meanwhile, were playing just their second game in a week -- they beat the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 99-93 at Staples Center on Saturday night after four days off. "We just played down to their level," said Shaquille O'Neal, who led the Lakers with 35 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. "We've been having that problem for four years, as long as I've been here." The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 35-30 in the final period, prompting Jackson to say, "We just fell apart defensively in the fourth quarter." Bryant scored 13 of his 25 points in the final period; Ron Harper shot 8-of-9 to add 17 points, and Robert Horry had 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Lakers, whose 24-5 record is the NBA's best. Nowitzki scored 19 of his 30 points and Finley had 12 of his 24 in the fourth quarter for the Mavericks. "He can shoot," O'Neal said of Nowitzki. "There was really no (defensive) pressure on those guys." Finley's 3-point shot with 21.4 seconds remaining tied the game 106-all -- just the second time the Mavericks had forged a tie. Bryant was fouled as he drove for the basket before making the game-winning free throws. "I liked our game plan and I even liked the fact that we went for the win at the end," Mavericks coach Don Nelson said. "I liked the looks of that shot the whole way, but it was just a little too long." It was 78-71 entering the fourth quarter. The Lakers scored seven points in a span of 40 seconds -- four by Bryant and three by Horry -- to make it 93-82 with 6:51 remaining. However the Mavericks battled back, outscoring the Lakers 24-13 to move into a tie before Bryant's big foul shots. The Lakers appeared on their way to a big win early, scoring the game's first five points and leading 31-19 entering the second quarter. It was 48-34 before the Mavericks went on a 14-4 run to finish the period, making it 52-48 at halftime. Gary Trent, who had 10 points and 13 rebounds, scored three baskets to spark an 8-4 Dallas spurt to start the third quarter, tying the game 56-all.< ^Notes:@ The Mavericks last beat the Lakers on April 5, 1995. Their last road win over the Lakers was on Dec. 12, 1990. The Lakers lead the all-time series 70-16. ... The Lakers have won 10 straight home games, and their 14-2 home record is the NBA's best, as is their 10-3 road record. ... A.C. Green, traded to the Lakers by the Mavericks for Sean Rooks on Sept. 1, has now played in 1,057 straight games -- the longest streak in NBA history. ... Finley has never missed a game in his five NBA seasons, playing in 326 straight. ... The Mavericks dressed 11 players; guard Steve Nash missed his 13th straight game due to a strained tendon in his right ankle. ... The Lakers entered the game ranked second in the NBA in points allowed (89.3), while the Mavericks ranked 29th, allowing 104.7. ... The game was attended by the Wisconsin football team, which will face Stanford in Saturday's Rose Bowl. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Dallas Clubhouse LA Lakers Clubhouse RECAPS Charlotte 108 Atlanta 104
San Antonio 105
LA Lakers 108
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