Lakers vs. Dallas: Lakers, Mavericks get fiesty as LA rolls to easy win
Lakers 110, Mavericks 82 (final)
Make no mistake, the game between the Lakers and Mavericks Thursday night at Staples Center was played with playoff intensity.
How else do you explain five players getting ejected from the game, a flagrant foul 2 and fans getting thrown out of the arena?
When it was all said and done, the Lakers had won the game, opened a 1 1/2-game lead over the Mavericks for the second-best record in the Western Conference, won the season-series, 2-1, and had moved to within 2 1/2 games of the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the NBA.
The game almost got out of hand with 9:23 left after Jason Terry pushed Steve Blake to the floor for a foul. Blake got up and chest-bumped with Terry.
Then Matt Barnes raced in and pushed Terry, making things that more interesting.
Dallas assistant coach Terry Stotts wrapped up Barnes along with referee Joe Crawford. Barnes pushed Stotts away.
Lakers assistant coaches Brian Shaw and Jim Cleamons came out on the court to grab their players.
Kobe Bryant, who was on the bench when the melee started, made sure the rest of his teammates didn't leave the bench and risk getting suspended.
When things had finally settled down after about five minutes, Barnes, Blake, Terry and Brendon Haywood were ejected.
Terry was given a flagrant foul 2.
Then with 1:52 left and the Lakers leading, 108-82, Shannon Brown pushed Brian Cardinal. Brown was also ejected from the game.
As it now stands, the Lakers and Mavericks would meet in the second round of the playoffs if both make it past the first round. The Lakers would have home-court advantage over the Mavericks.
The Lakers took it from there, clowning the Mavericks while running away from them, even getting Ron Artest into the action when he kissed his left bicep after he scored as he was fouled. Artest then flexed and smiled at the crowd.
Bryant led the Lakers with 28 points.
Lamar Odom had given the Lakers a big lift.
Odom, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. scored the eight unanswered points top open the fourth quarter.
He scored on back-to-back three-pointers and a driving layup.
With Odom making a three-pointer to end the third quarter, he had scored 11 consecutive points in the game.
The Lakers now are 16-1 since the All-Star break.
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The Lakers had things rolling pretty well in the third quarter.
Their only problem was foul trouble.
Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher both picked up their fourth foul in the third.
Still, that didn't stop the Lakers from opening up a 12-point lead.
The Lakers ended the quarter with a Lamar Odom three-pointer and with Andrew Bynum blocking a last-second shot attempt by Shawn Marion.
Lakers 54, Mavericks 51 (end of first half)
It was all about hustle and determination by the Lakers in the second quarter.
It was all about effort and giving your all by the Lakers in the second quarter.
But the Mavericks were nearly able to match that intensity, allowing them to stay in the game when the Lakers tried to pull away.
It was clear the Lakers were up for this game by their reactions.
Take Andrew Bynum.
Bynum got the ball down low, did a 360-spin around Dirk Nowitzki and powered up for a two-handed dunk.
Bynum raised himself on the rim and let out a scream. He then looked over at the Lakers' bench, where everyone had leaped from his seat.
When the Mavericks called a timeout after the play with 9:18 left in the second quarter, Bynum chest-bumped and high-fived his teammates while walking to the bench.
Then there was Kobe Bryant missing a shot but racing back on defense, tipping a pass away and then tipping the ball to Derek Fisher.
That led to a jumper by Ron Artest.
Then there was Lamar Odom getting an offensive rebound and quickly throwing the ball inside to Pau Gasol for a basket.
Gasol leads a balanced scoring attack with 13 points, followed by Bynum (12) and Bryant (11). Artest has seven points, three rebounds and a team-high five assists.
Dallas was led by Nowitzki's 14 points. Tyson Chandler has seven points and eight rebounds
Lakers 28, Mavericks 26 (end of first quarter)
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said it wasn't a playoff-type game, but it sure was entertaining and pretty intense in the first quarter.
The Lakers shot 54.2% from the field and Pau Gasol led the Lakers with eight points on four-for-five shooting.
The Mavericks shot 45.8% and were led by Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki with six points.
One of the more interesting matchups to start the game was the Mavericks' having 6-foot-2 Rodrigue Beaubois on 6-foot-6 Kobe Bryant.
Bryant did take Beaubois in the post a couple of times, but he didn't try to overdo it.
Bryant had seven points on three-for-six shooting and three assists.
Pregame
As it now stands, the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks could meet in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs if both advance past the first round.
And as of now, the Lakers would have home-court advantage over the Mavericks.
So the game between the Lakers and Mavericks on Thursday night at Staples Center has a lot of importance, seeing as how L.A. has a half-game lead over Dallas for the second-best record in the West.
Even though the game has playoff implications as far as seeding, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said before the game that it does not feel like a playoff game.
"No, it doesn't, but it's a really good regular-season game," Jackson said.
The Lakers and Mavericks are 1-1 against each other on the season.
The Lakers lost the first game in Dallas, but beat the Mavericks when the two teams met earlier this month.
Thursday night is the last time the Lakers and Mavericks will play during the regular season.
"This game has been in our sights for a long time," Jackson said. "The game in Dallas and this one, we knew that those two games that are important for us if we are going to step ahead of them. I think this is a great challenge tonight. It's going to be a really good game. I'm very wary of them."
--Broderick Turner
Photo: Lakers guard Steve Blake and Mavericks guard Jason Terry go face to face after Blake was shoved to the court by Terry on Thursday night at Staples Center. Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times
@Lew - p-p-p-poker face...haha!
@ms - game day...what cha bringing?
Posted by: LRob | March 31, 2011 at 07:19 PM
Spurs on their way to their FIFTH straight loss.... wooo hooo
Looks like we can REALLY catch up with them for #1 seed?? :)
Posted by: Lionel Messi | March 31, 2011 at 07:31 PM
MAVS looooooose!!! :) :) :)
couldn't catch the game live. what's up with the brawl i heard about?
Posted by: cp6 | March 31, 2011 at 10:25 PM
u mad putrid?
Posted by: Silly Noobs | March 31, 2011 at 10:30 PM
Loved it! Back-in-the-day............. Made my day/week/month!
Posted by: NuggetsCountry | March 31, 2011 at 10:38 PM
Putrid - we have trolls with better blog skills in their pinkies that the ish youre posting up now. Get your busta @$$ off this blog and bow down to your BACK-TO-BACK WORLD CHAMPION LOS ANGELES LAKERS. Silly foo, go back to yo momma, she waiting for ya.
Posted by: Cap's Goggles (83-79) | March 31, 2011 at 10:41 PM
Just when you think the Mavericks can't humiliate themselves any further on the floor, they start throwing around the Cindy Brady, chickenshtt pushing and shoving - Richard Simmons wearing a pink tutu was more intimidating.
lol Mavs... you sure showed them... maybe next time you can bring your Midol and actually show up?
Posted by: Orion | March 31, 2011 at 10:42 PM
big bad ass bynum, LO, pau, black mamba and company just showed the dallas thugs a preview of what they would be facing in a second round match. the no talent, no size mavericks would get destroyed in all categories of the game. whether it be in the paint, on the boards, defense, hustle, the lakers will beat your punk ass down, dallas! and jason terry just proved that he is more of a thug than a worthy recipient for the 6th man award, LO is hands down the favorite for the award. the nba better suspend this thug terry at least two games, and fire these refs for ejecting blake, who was only defending himself.
Posted by: danny boy | March 31, 2011 at 10:45 PM
Hearing footsteps, San Antonio????
Notice served.
Posted by: Stephen J. Smith | March 31, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Didn't Jason Terry say a few weeks ago that he wasn't worried about the Lakers? After this game he has a lot to worry about. Lamar Odom showed in this game that he deserves the sixth man of the year award and not Terry.
Jorge
Posted by: Jorge | March 31, 2011 at 10:52 PM
Didn't Jason Terry say a few weeks ago that he wasn't worried about the Lakers? After this game he has a lot to worry about. Lamar Odom showed in this game that he deserves the sixth man of the year award and not Terry.
Jorge
Posted by: Jorge | March 31, 2011 at 10:52 PM
putrid-your name fits.
Posted by: Stephen J. Smith | March 31, 2011 at 10:53 PM
After 3 days of waiting for a game...that was a dozy! The killer B's got ejected...I just love it! My favorite game of the season so far. I loved Kobe's interview at the end...classic stuff!
I would guess suspensions for Terry & Barnes for sure, and some fines...my hearts a flutter!
The Laker's got some SWAGGER going on and Ron Ron knows how to put icing on the cake!
Posted by: Kobeayashimarue | March 31, 2011 at 10:54 PM
I have this funny feeling we will be short handed tomorrow night against Utah...lol
Was that a Theo sighting late in the game? That would be awesome because there will be a game or two in the second season he will be needed I suspect. I'm all giddy and stuff right now!
Posted by: Kobeayashimarue | March 31, 2011 at 11:06 PM
Dude...Just wondering if Practice Season OVER yet? That looked like the POST season GAME.
Posted by: G.Money | March 31, 2011 at 11:10 PM
Like the Priest said, the Beast is the key to the lakers winning the whole thing. When the lakers play as a team they are hard to beat. Playing as a team like smush parker said starts and ends with kobe. A facilitating kobe makes the lakers almost invincible. Kobe the ballhog makes teams like okc and portland viable threats.
Posted by: island priest | March 31, 2011 at 11:18 PM
I don't want to stifle your enthusiasm putrid (but I must say what a curious choice for a handle...do you really know what the word means?) but I digress. I think what you meant to say is "Laker's suck" not "Lakers sucks". You see Mr. Putrid the object is to match the possessive which does require that little squiggly thing known as an apostrophe (plural) with the adjective (singular) unless of course you were trying to somehow associate your moniker with your grammar. If so you succeeded in spectacular fashion! Note: I fear some of this may confounding to you. If so, you would do well to ask your shop teacher for advice.
Lastly, in the interest of objectivity I am compelled to point out that the Laker's are neither putrid nor suck, as you claim, given their NBA leading 16-1 record since the All-Star break. In fact they are quite simply the polar opposite.
ps I believe the sucky Lakers did in fact beat the dreaded Mavericks after all tonight.
As far as the Laker's are concerned...Objectively they are neither putrid nor suck in the
slightest given their 16-1 record post all star break which by all accounts is the best in the association.
Posted by: DieTryin' | March 31, 2011 at 11:20 PM
Richard in Orlando loves the Lakers. I think we can catch SA and even if we don't we should 3Peat again. Kobe deserves the MVP but the media is into choosing a winner just to assert their power. Understand, this man leads his team to the NBA finals and wins 2 years in a row, has reduced minutes and great numbers per minute and he is not even on the top 3 list. That's pure BS. He should go down as one of the greatest ever but the media is still hooked on Jordan and praying for LeGone James (who I think will disappoint them when all is said and done). I am with Kobe, as long as his team wins the crown again, they can take that MVP and shove it where the sun don't shine.
Posted by: RichMo | March 31, 2011 at 11:28 PM
Sorry. Unintended double post. Also typing on a mobile device which prevented me from seeing full screen edits.
Posted by: DieTryin' | March 31, 2011 at 11:32 PM
LET US NOT FORGET THAT DALLAS IS TEXAS MACK BROWN
Posted by: troanother | March 31, 2011 at 11:36 PM
SAD
Posted by: troanother | March 31, 2011 at 11:38 PM
In case anyone hasn't noticed, there has been an obvious attitude adjustment in the team's on court demeanor. 2 game suspension for a flagarant foul, 3 players ejected for game misconduct ... are these our Lakers or the second coming of the Detroit Bad Boys. It is clear that this current crop of the purple and gold are sending everyone out there who claim to be contenders for the championship that they had better be ready to man up because there will be no backing down when push comes to shove. Thank you for your motivating comments about the Lakers lack of toughness, Kendrick Perkins. Ever since those comments, this team has responded with a physicality that is certainly having an impact on the psyche of every team that the Lakers will face.
Posted by: jyo esq | April 01, 2011 at 12:04 AM
Huge Lakers fan here in Ontario - watched the game and loved the intensity. The 4th quarter was awesome and LO was a treat for the eyes, yup. My vote for 6th man of the year for sure.
The brawl - The Lakers sure got under their (Mavs) skin. Steve was right in standing up to the bully, Terry - don't think he (Steve) and Haywood should have been ejected. Loved the way Shanon stood up to Cardinal for pushing Pau - Pau got nothing to worry, his team mates got his back - I had the chuckles, honest, it was entertaining.
Can't wait for the Denver game - could be physical too.
Posted by: Mala | April 01, 2011 at 06:00 AM
Huge Lakers fan here in Ontario - watched the game and loved the intensity. The 4th quarter was awesome and LO was a treat for the eyes, yup. My vote for 6th man of the year for sure.
The brawl - The Lakers sure got under their (Mavs) skin. Steve was right in standing up to the bully, Terry - don't think he (Steve) and Haywood should have been ejected. Loved the way Shanon stood up to Cardinal for pushing Pau - Pau got nothing to worry, his team mates got his back - I had the chuckles, honest, it was entertaining.
Can't wait for the Denver game - could be physical too.
Posted by: Mala | April 01, 2011 at 06:00 AM
Forgot to mention that in the midst of it all, Ron had to rub it in with a one hand basket, flexing his biceps and kissing it too - lol
Fan being walked out - what was that all about - anyone wanna throw some light on that incident - all I could see were a swarm of red jackets.
Posted by: Mala | April 01, 2011 at 06:09 AM
the nba better suspend this thug terry at least two games, and fire these refs for ejecting blake, who was only defending himself.
Posted by: Ray.Ban sunglasses | May 05, 2011 at 08:59 PM