The Los Angeles Lakers (20-13) finally got some revenge on the Dallas Mavericks’ (21-13) home floor Wednesday night, after being swept out of the second round of the playoffs there last season. More importantly, after coming into Wednesday night’s game with a miserable 4-11 road record this year, the Lakers were able to get a solid road win against a good team.
On a tough night for Kobe Bryant (15 points on just 4-15 shooting, five rebounds, four assists, and seven turnovers), it was up to his teammates to help lift the Lakers over their budding rivals.
His teammates would deliver, but not before a hard fought fourth quarter which involved some heroics by Derek Fisher, some huge plays by the Lakers’ big men, and some frustrating missed free throws.
The first quarter started off strong for the Lakers, who, much like the game against the Portland Trail Blazers a few days before, made it a point to get the ball inside to their big men. Pau Gasol scored 12 points on 6-8 shooting for the Lakers in the opening period, while Andrew Bynum had six points on 3-3 shooting, en route to a 25-21 point advantage at the end of the first.
The second quarter started off well for the Lakers, with fluid ball movement and two quick three-pointers from Andrew Goudelock as the second unit plus Andrew Bynum took to the floor. The Lakers managed a 10-0 run, and went up by as many as 14. However, Vince Carter’s 18 points in the first half kept the Mavs in the game before Dirk Nowitzki dropped in two buckets before halftime, and tied the game 48-48, all.
The second half would start out just as intense with Derek Fisher (15 points on 6-8 shooting from the field, 2-3 from three-point land) starting to warm up, hitting the first two buckets for the Lakers at the start of the third quarter. The Mavericks would continue to fight and keep the game close. Fisher again made his presence felt, this time hitting a three-pointer with just under six minutes left to play, placing the Lakers up, 63-59.
This would prove to be a continuing theme for Fisher, who in the last meeting between these two teams drained a game-winning three-pointer to hoist the Lakers over the Mavericks, 93-90. Bryant continued to struggle in the third quarter, but managed to convert on a jump-shot and then a circus shot after being fouled, despite solid defense from Shawn Marion and the Mavericks’ collapsing defense. The third period ended once again in a tie, 72-72.
The fourth quarter would be no different, with both teams playing hard-nosed defense and exchanging baskets. Neither team could seem to get any separation, that is, until Fisher once again drained another huge three-pointer with just over four minutes left to play to put the Lakers up by five. He would then hit a “tear-drop” runner over an outstretched Dirk Nowitzki for an 89-82 lead. Second chance opportunities and turnovers would help the Mavericks stay in the game, before the Lakers’ big men essentially held them off.
With the game winding down, Bryant threw a pass towards the rim (we’ll call it a pass, even though it could have passed for a shot), which Pau Gasol retrieved, shot, missed, but remained persistent, rebounded his own miss, and eventually tipped the ball in.
On the very next play, Kobe would create a similar sequence. This one was much smoother as he dribbled towards the elbow (where he is deadly), waited for the defense to decide to double-team, and then threw a lob to Andrew Bynum (Bynum converted on four lobs in this contest) who threw it down and put the Lakers up, 93-86 with 1:05 left to play.
But, there was still a late game scare after six bizarre free throw misses by Bryant, Matt Barnes, and Gasol, respectively. Bryant missed a pair of free throws, followed by Barnes. The Mavs came within two points on a Nowitzki tip-in off of a Vince Carter miss, cutting the lead to 93-91.
Gasol was then fouled with 20 seconds left (it looked like a flagrant foul), and missed both of his free throws. However, Barnes was there to grab the crucial offensive rebound, and finally ended the free throw drought, putting the Lakers up by four and essentially putting the game out of reach. Dallas would miss their next shot, and Fisher would hit a free throw, and that was all she wrote. Game, 96-91, Lakers.
Pau Gasol led the way for the Lakers, finishing with 24 points on 11-18 shooting, nine rebounds (four offensive), four assists, and three steals. Andrew Bynum was the second leading scorer with 19 points, 14 rebounds (five offensive), three assists, one steal, and one block. Bryant (4-15, 2-5 from three) and Fisher (6-8, 2-3 from three), as stated above, had 15 points apiece.
Matt Barnes tallied nine points, nine rebounds (three offensive), and two assists in 28 minutes while Metta World Peace had four points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal as the two complemented each other at the small forward position for the Lakers.
Rounding out the rest of the Lakers’ bench were Andrew Goudelock with six points, Troy Murphy with four points, and Steve Blake with no points, but five assists.
As for Dallas, Nowitzki was the high-point man with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists. Vince Carter was unable to keep up his first half performance of 18 points in the second half, scoring just two points in the second half for a total of 20 points and five rebounds for the game. Mavericks’ sixth man, Jason Terry, scored 16 points and had five assists and four rebounds. Shawn Marion, who played solid defense on Kobe, finished with eight points, nine rebounds (seven offensive), and five assists.
Jason Kidd scored just four points, and had four assists, two rebounds, and two steals. Brendan Haywood managed four points, 11 rebounds (six offensive), two assists, and two steals. Besides Terry, the rest of the Mavericks’ bench totaled 13 points.
Now, let’s break down this Lakers road win.
Next: The Breakdown
Here are some aspects of last night’s victory over the Dallas Mavericks to look at:
Road Warriors – Yes, the Lakers’ record on the road this year is a pathetic 5-11, but the fact that they were able to pull out a tough victory against a tough Dallas Mavericks team that can score in a multitude of ways and plays solid defense is a good indication going forward. On top of that, they did it while Kobe Bryant was struggling to score. Normally, when Bryant struggles to score and has to be lifted by his teammates, it usually happens at home. The fact that he had enough help last night on the road proves that the Lakers truly are attempting to stick together, as they recently made a point to do in a brief “players only” meeting.
Inside Men – Previously, we have seen the same old story. The Lakers big men of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum get going early, and then disappear in the second half. As recently as Monday night, this was the case. Sometimes the Lakers end up with a win, and sometimes they don’t. Last night, however, saw the Lakers big men playing a big part offensively down the stretch. Bryant deferred to his big men on two consecutive plays down the stretch, which resulted in high percentage shots. Gasol and Bynum combined for 43 points, 23 rebounds (nine offensive), seven assists, and four steals. Additionally, down the stretch, both big men gave multiple efforts on the offensive glass. This type of assertive play has proven to be a difference maker over the past few years. The Lakers were able to deliver a steady dose of their inside presence, and it definitely helped.
Derek Fisher – Time and time again, starting point guard Derek Fisher seemingly senses when to step it up. With his longtime back-court-mate Kobe Bryant struggling, Derek Fisher felt the need to step up and hit some shots, and he did. It was great to see Derek hit shots not just in the fourth quarter, but also throughout the game. Almost all Lakers’ fans are begging for a new point guard, and there definitely is a need to improve at that position, but no one can ever question Fisher’s heart or leadership.
After spending his summer and fall seasons at the negotiating table rather than in the gym, Fisher did not have adequate time to get himself into the type of shape he likes to be in. At 37 years old, it is much harder to catch up on training and conditioning than at a younger age. Perhaps Fisher is finally rounding into shape, and getting his legs under him, thus allowing his shots to fall easier. The return of Steve Blake likely also has something to do with Fisher’s ability to be more aggressive in spurts. Blake’s play of late has been a huge positive for the Lakers, and it appears as if head coach Mike Brown is faced with a decision to make in each game when it comes to whom he wants closing out games at the point guard position. So far, it has worked out and both players have unique abilities that positively influence the game down the stretch.
Rebounds and Turnovers – The Lakers were out-rebounded by the Mavs, 27-19 (11-5 on the offensive glass) in the first half. They made this stat more respectable by the end of the game, getting out-rebounded by just one, 50-49 (and 21-17 on the offensive glass). However, the amount of second chance points the Mavericks earned allowed them to stay in the game.
Additionally, the high number of turnovers (17) also allowed Dallas to keep the game close. Kobe Bryant is the main initiator of the offense, so he is expected to have turnovers, but seven turnovers is much too high. In addition to this, Pau Gasol had five turnovers. Without a dynamic point guard on this team, Gasol is seemingly the secondary play-maker. This is a plus for him, as witnessed by his scoring output last night. The additional touches allow him to create offense for others, but also more offense for himself. However, both players must adjust and clean up their turnovers.
Even with all the second chance opportunities and points-off-of-turnovers for the Mavs, the Lakers somehow found a way to win, which is an encouraging sign.
Kobe Bryant – Okay, when you’re as lethal as the Black Mamba, every team focuses their defense around you, and the Dallas Mavericks are no different. Faced with a bigger, athletic forward like Shawn Marion along with disruptive double-teams, even the most explosive offensive players are liable to have an off night once in a while. However, the fact that Kobe didn’t try to take over the game late, as he is inclined to do, was a huge plus for the Lakers. Plenty of times we have see Bryant have an off night only to come out in the fourth quarter scoring multiple buckets in a row. Other times we have also seen him attempt to do this, only to take a few tough shots and miss.
The Lakers live and die with Kobe Bryant because he is still the most dangerous player with the game on the line. But, it was refreshing to see him not try and force his offense too much, especially against a team that was absolutely focused on his every move. He recognized that his front-line players were playing aggressive, and allowed the offense to go towards them. He also let Derek Fisher take more control of the ball down the stretch as well. The team played much better overall, as there was lots of ball and player movement, especially down the stretch. Often times we have seen other players stand around and hold the ball, only looking and waiting for Kobe to free himself up and isolate while the defense sets behind him. Last night, the execution down the stretch looked much more fluid, and this will have to continue going forward.
Lastly, we have all witnessed what happens when Kobe Bryant has a bad shooting night. He typically offsets it with an efficient, high scoring affair in his next outing. Tonight the Lakers face the Oklahoma City Thunder (26-7), so hopefully he will be efficient, but hopefully the Lakers will also continue to utilize their greatest advantage, their dominant big men.
Last night was a great start to a tough two-game road trip, and can help the Lakers build momentum going into the All-Star break. The Lakers appear to be coming together, and more importantly, sticking together. The recent meeting they had seems to be more of a mid-season check-in rather than an emotional, motivational airing out session. With this veteran team, the message is clear: The second half of the season is here, and it’s time to buckle down and play Lakers basketball.