|
 Led by Dirk Nowitzki's 19-first half points, endless scoring
options all whirring in high-scoring harmony and a 42-point
third-quarter shellacking, Dallas routed the Lakers 140-106 on
Friday night for their sixth consecutive victory.
The Mavs (10-3) haven't won as many as six in a row since 2012.
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers surrendered their modest win streak of
two, which vanished in a fog of Mavs shot-making from everywhere and
from seemingly everybody.
"Tonight is a setback," Bryant said. "Sometimes you take a couple of
steps forward before taking a step back. Sometimes you take a step
back before you can take a couple of steps forward. Tonight was a
step back. They are extremely good, but they shot the lights out. I
mean, 55-percent from 3 is crazy."
Dallas gained control with an 11-2 burst in the final 1:26 of the
first quarter that ended with the Mavs scoring five points in four
seconds, capped by guard J.J. Barea's 3-pointer after Lakers center
Robert Sacre regrettably tossed the inbounds pass directly to a
Dallas defender.
The Mavs led 68-59 at the half and managed a nine- or 11-point
cushion until midway through the third quarter when the flood gates
busted open. Guard Monta Ellis suddenly discovered a sizzling hand
and nailed three consecutive 3-pointers to blow the game up, 93-73.
 With 2:30 to go in the third quarter, Dallas led 100-77, carving up
a virtually nonexistent, or at least a completely insufficient
Lakers defense.
At the end of three, Dallas was shooting 65 percent from the field
and 52 percent (13 of 15) from beyond the arc. They had 29 assists
on 39 baskets and led 110-83.
"I love the way we passed it in the second half," Mavs coach Rick
Carlisle said. "When the ball touches a lot of people's hands, it
makes a big difference, regardless of what level you're at. Second
half, the unselfishness was really tremendous. We've just got to
keep preaching it. Guys have got to keep doing it. This was a hard
game that turned into an easy game in the end, but we had to get
some traction defensively, and we had to keep scoring."
The Lakers tried hard to make a game of it before halftime, but they
just couldn't really cut into the lead very deep and once the
onslaught started in the third quarter, it just got out of hand for
L.A.
Bryant again struggled to connect in L.A.'s methodical offense,
hitting on just 6 of 22 shots from the field for 17 points. Guard
Jeremy Lin led the Lakers with 18 points and five assists, but he
also had four turnovers.
Dallas eventually extended the lead to 119-88, the fifth time in 11
games to lead by at least 30 points.
[to top of second column] |
"We just moved the ball," Chandler said of the Mavs' season-high for
points. "We played so unselfish and that was probably our best
ball-movement game. People had good shots; if someone had a better
shot we moved the ball. In the paint, we penetrated and drove,
kicked it to the open man and that's how we need to play. Our
defense was much better and I think that gives us energy for the
offensive end."
Four Dallas bench players scored in double figures with pleasant
early-season surprise Al-Farouq Aminu getting 13 points and dunk
machine Brandan Wright adding 12 points. Barea, a clutch spark plug
in the Mavs' last road win at Washington, was again impressive with
16 points and eight assists.
"The teams that we have struggled with are the teams that have a lot
of shooters," Bryant said. "Those teams can really spread the floor
and shoot it well. Those teams are the ones that are going to give
us some problems."
NOTES: Lakers G Kobe Bryant defended the two-year, $48.5 million
extension he signed last season in comparison with the below-market
contract -- three years, $25 million -- that Mavs F Dirk Nowitzki
signed during the offseason. Bryant deemed so-called hometown
discounts a "big coup for the owners." Bryant said, "Did I take a
discount? Yeah. Did I take as big a discount as some fans want me
to? No. Is it a big enough discount to help us be a contender?
Yeah." ... Lakers G Wayne Ellington rejoined the team after a nearly
two-week absence following the murder of his father in Philadelphia.
"I just want him back with the team, back with his family," Lakers
coach Byron Scott said. "Last couple of games obviously we've played
pretty well, so that rotation will probably stay the same for
tonight." ... Mavs owner Mark Cuban used to enjoy trading barbs in
the media with former Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Those days are
over, but Cuban still likes to poke the struggling Lakers when the
opportunity presents itself. During an interview on a Los Angeles
sports radio talk show this week, Cuban said he hopes the Lakers
"suck forever." ... Mavs G Devin Harris missed his second
consecutive game with lower right leg soreness ... Mavs G Raymond
Felton served the third of a four-game suspension, leaving Dallas
with 12 players in uniform ... Mavs F Chandler Parsons returns to
Houston for Saturday's game against the Rockets for the first time
since the Mavs plucked him from Houston with a lucrative contract
offer during the offseason.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |
