The Los Angeles Lakers (39-22) defeated the Dallas Mavericks (34-27) 112-108 Sunday afternoon, sweeping the season series between the two teams (the Lakers are 4-0 this season against the Mavs). Perhaps the Lakers were trying to get some kind of payback after being swept by the Mavericks in the playoffs last year.
The Lakers trailed after 12 minutes of play, 27-22, behind 12 points from Delonte West and eight points from Jason Kidd. Ramon Sessions was the bright spot for the Lakers in the period with 10 points.
The Lakers still trailed at halftime, 54-48, but many of the starters plus Matt Barnes were starting to get going offensively and had momentum going for them. Metta World Peace scored eight points in the second quarter alone, and Andrew Bynum scored seven.
In the third quarter, Metta World Peace started out the quarter hot, and helped the Lakers outscore the Mavs 28-21 to enter the fourth quarter with a one point lead, 76-75.
Ramon Sessions had a solid fourth quarter for the Lakers, but Jason Terry also got hot for the Mavericks. The Mavs erased the one point lead by the end of the fourth and sent the game into overtime.
The overtime period was a battle as Dirk Nowitzki managed to get going a little bit, and Terry kept his hot shooting alive. Pau Gasol, however, dropped in two back-to-back three-pointers of his own midway through the period, firing up the Staples Center crowd. With some strong defensive play–most notably Matt Barnes’ challenge of Jason Terry’s potential game-tying layup with just seconds left–and offensive execution, the Lakers prevailed and won the game, 112-108.
The Numbers
The Lakers had a balanced attack, led by Andrew Bynum who had 23 points (on a poor 9-24 from the field), 16 rebounds (five offensive), and two assists; Bynum was also instrumental on defense. Ramon Sessions dropped in 22 points (on 8-15 shooting, 3-5 from three) and five assists. Pau Gasol played another exceptional game with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, while Metta World Peace finished with 18 points, six rebounds (three offensive), and four assists. Matt Barnes continued his effectiveness off the bench with a near triple-double, tallying 11 points (on 4-7 shooting, 2-3 from three), 11 rebounds (three offensive), and eight assists in 34 minutes of play. Josh McRoberts (eight points) and Devin Ebanks (six points) grabbed four rebounds each, while Steve Blake added four points and two assists.
For Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks despite a poor field goal percentage with 24 points (on 9-28 shooting) and 14 rebounds. Jason Terry had 21 points (on 8-15 shooting, 5-6 from three), four assists, and three rebounds. Delonte West added 20 points while Jason Kidd had 13 points (3-4 from three-point land), seven assists, and three rebounds. Shawn Marion tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists and Brendan Haywood had nine points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Vince Carter finished the game with seven points.
Now, let’s break down the victory.
Next Page: The Breakdown