3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks- American Airlines Center. March 12th, 2011
The Lakers came off a loss to the Miami Heat two days earlier, and they had to face-off with a tough Mavericks team in order to get back on the winning side. The Lakers failed to maintain their late-game lead in the previous meeting versus the Mavericks and they completely fell apart in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Lakers, looking for revenge, came out of the gates strong and they were playing as a cohesive unit. Although Kobe suffered a severe ankle sprain in the third quarter, he returned to the court and helped carry the Lakers to victory, 96-91. This game had serious playoff implications as Los Angeles gained ground on the Mavericks for the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
The victory was also very special for Coach Phil Jackson since he won his 600th game as the head man for the Lakers, becoming the fifth coach in NBA history to reach that milestone with one team.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U946_2VDT_w
Next: Game #2