Final
Coverage: ABC
1:00 PM ET, February 24, 2013
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Top Performers
Los Angeles: K. Bryant 38 Pts, 12 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Blk
Dallas: D. Nowitzki 30 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl
Kobe's Big Game Propels Lakers To Third Straight Win
VIDEO PLAYLIST
- Kobe's Big Game Propels Lakers To Third Straight Win
Kobe's Big Game Propels Lakers To Third Straight Win
Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points, but Kobe Bryant countered with 38 of his own to lead the Lakers past the Mavericks 103-99.Tags: Lakers, Mavericks, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki - Can The Lakers Make The Playoffs?
Can The Lakers Make The Playoffs?
The "NBA Countdown" crew discusses the Lakers' playoff chances following their win against the Mavericks.Tags: Lakers, Kobe Bryant, NBA Countdown, Michael Wilbon, Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, Magic Johnson - Howard Attributes Struggles To Conditioning
Howard Attributes Struggles To Conditioning
Dwight Howard admitted that his poor conditioning has led to the Lakers' struggles.Tags: Flip Saunders, Dwight Howard, Dwight Howard conditioning, Lakers playoffs, Jim Basquil - Lakers Stand Behind Kobe's Promise
Lakers Stand Behind Kobe's Promise
Arash Markazi of ESPNLA.com breaks down what the Lakers need to do in order to back up Kobe Bryant's promise of making the playoffs.Tags: Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Mike D'Antoni, Arash Markazi, Cole Wright
DALLAS -- Kobe Bryant was just a little better than Dirk Nowitzki in a spirited game befitting Western Conference leaders -- not teams battling for ninth place.
Bryant had 38 points to win a scoring duel with Nowitzki, and Steve Nash helped beat his former team by scoring 20 points for the first time with the Los Angeles Lakers in a 103-99 victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
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Nowitzki finished with a season-high 30 in a game that had a playoff feel from the start, even though both teams still have plenty of ground to make up to even qualify for the postseason. They trail eighth-place Houston by several games, but they are the franchises that have the last three NBA titles won by teams from the West.
Bryant and Nowitzki had 16 points apiece in the first half and were still even at 24 after the third quarter before Bryant scored 14 in the fourth, including seven in the last 3 minutes. They were a combined 8 of 9 from 3-point range and hit 24 shots and 12 free throws between them.
"It's fun," said Bryant, who also had 12 rebounds and seven assists. "He's one of my all-time favorites. He's a throwback type of player. He doesn't mind the physicality. He made some incredible plays down the stretch."
Bryant, who went past the 31,000-point mark, was playing in Mark Cuban's building two days after the outspoken Dallas owner suggested in a radio interview that the Lakers might have to consider dumping the five-time NBA champion through the amnesty clause.
The Lakers responded by calling the comment inappropriate, and Cuban defended himself before the game.
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"Amnesty THAT," Bryant tweeted after the game.
"I'm sure if he wants to amnesty Dirk, that's something we'll be willing to entertain," Bryant told reporters.
The Mavericks were so frustrated trying to guard Bryant, O.J. Mayo got called for a foul and a technical when he jumped around wildly after the whistle blew on a drive to the basket by Bryant. Nash made the technical shot, and Bryant hit his pair of free throws for a 94-90 lead.
"He's been the best player in my decade," said Nowitzki, who also had his season high with 13 rebounds after missing the first 27 games following knee surgery. "I've in the NBA a long time and he's the one player I love to watch. It was a big game on the national TV stage. It was a fun one. We just came up a little bit short."
Nowitzki was called for a technical earlier in the fourth quarter after a similar display when he missed a shot during a physical sequence with Metta World Peace.
More on the Lakers
For more news, notes and analysis of the Lakers, check out the Lakers Index. Blog
"It was very intense," said Mavericks rookie Jae Crowder, who spent his share of time trying to guard Bryant. "From the crowd standpoint, from the player standpoint, from the officiating. You could tell."
Three times in the final 3 minutes, Bryant put the Lakers up four after the Mavericks had pulled within two. The last gave Los Angeles a 101-97 lead with 46.9 seconds left.
Nowitzki scored to make it a two-point game, and World Peace missed a free throw to give Dallas a chance to tie. Mayo missed a 3-pointer with about 5 seconds left, and Bryant clinched it with a free throw that made it a two-possession game.
"That's why he's Kobe Bryant," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's not John Smith. No disrespect to John Smith, whoever he is. That's what he does. That's what he loves. That's what he trains for."
Nash had 13 of his 20 points and three of his four 3-pointers in the second half, including one that answered Mayo's only bucket from long range and put the Lakers up 99-95.
"He came on in the second half and really gave us a big boost," Bryant said. "He was very aggressive and it forced them to make changes defensively. He's extremely clutch."
More on the Mavericks
News, notes and analysis of the Mavericks from ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon, Richard Durrett and our team.
Blog » ESPN Dallas »
Dwight Howard had three big free throws in the fourth, including one that put Los Angeles ahead for good at 91-90, and finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.
The Lakers had the biggest lead at six -- several times -- and the Mavericks erased each one through three quarters. Nowitzki's 3-pointer from the top of the key late in the third made him 4 of 4 from long range and capped a 7-0 run for a 71-70 Dallas lead, but Bryant scored twice on drives after a timeout to put the Lakers in front again.
In the first half, Nowitzki was 5 of 8 from the floor, made both 3-pointers and all four free throws and led everyone with eight rebounds. Bryant, meanwhile, was 3 of 4 from long range, including a pair from well behind the arc, but just 1 of 6 inside the line. He had a game-high six assists before halftime.
Game notes
Bryant got a technical in the first quarter when he gestured at referee Ken Mauer after Darren Collison stole ball. It was his league-leading 13th technical -- one ahead of DeMarcus Cousins of Sacramento. A one-game suspension is in order when a player reaches 16 technicals. ... Mavericks C Chris Kaman entered the game in the second quarter after missing 10 straight games with a concussion. ... The Mavericks scored at least 30 points in the first quarter for the fifth time in six games.
Photo Wire
Next 5 Games
Los Angeles | Dallas |
---|---|
02/25 @DEN 9:00pm 02/28 MIN 10:30pm 03/03 ATL 9:30pm 03/05 @OKC 9:30pm 03/06 @NO 8:00pm |
02/26 MIL 8:30pm 02/27 @MEM 8:00pm 03/01 @BKN 8:00pm 03/03 @HOU 7:00pm 03/06 HOU 8:30pm |
Complete Schedule: Los Angeles | Dallas |
Research Notes
The Lakers are slowly becoming a threat, not only to the Western Conference, but to the entire NBA. The Lakers are 11-4 since Jan. 25 and have won three straight games. Only the Heat and Spurs have been better in that stretch. [+]Best Records in NBA
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Kobe Bryant outscored the rest of the Lakers starters (Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, Earl Clark and Metta World Peace) by two points in Sunday's win. The Lakers were previously 0-5 this season when Bryant outscored the rest of the starting lineup. [+]Lakers Starting Lineup Sunday
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Kobe Bryant made 13 field goals Sunday at an average distance of 18.6 feet from the basket. That's Bryant's fourth-highest average on made field goals in a game this season with the Lakers losing each of the three games with a higher rate. [+]Kobe Bryant Highest Avg Distance on Made Field Goals - This Season
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Kobe Bryant scored 38 points Sunday and his seven assists led to 18 points. The 56 points created tied for Bryant's season high. [+]Kobe Bryant Most Points Created - This Season
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Kobe Bryant made all 5 of his field goal attempts in the 4th quarter today. It's the 4th time in Kobe's career that he's attempted at least 5 shots without missing one in the 4th quarter. Not surprisingly, the Lakers are 4-0 in those games. It's the first time he's done so in nearly 5 years (April 2, 2008 vs Trail Blazers).
In his last 2 games, Kobe is 8-for-10 from the field and 8-for-9 on free throws in the 4th quarter.
Today was the first time Kobe made a 3-point attempt in the 4th quarter in over a month. His last 4th-quarter 3-pointer was January 20 at Toronto. It snapped his streak of 12 straight missed 3-pointers in the 4th quarter. [+]Kobe Bryant in 4th Quarter This Season
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FROM ELIAS:
Kobe Bryant is the 2nd-oldest player in NBA history with at least 38 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in a game while shooting 60 percent or better from the field. The only older player to do so was Elgin Baylor in 1970. [+]38 Pts, 12 Reb, 7 Ast, 60 FG pct in a Game - Oldest Players in NBA History
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FROM ELIAS:
Kobe Bryant is the oldest player in NBA history to score at least 38 points while shooting at least 60 percent in consecutive games. [+]38 Points, 60 FG pct in Consecutive Games - Oldest Players in NBA History
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For the first time in Kobe Bryant's career, he has scored at least 38 points while shooting better than 60 percent from the field in consecutive games. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Today was just the 3rd time in Kobe Bryant's career that he's had at least 38 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in a game. It's the first time he's ever done so while shooting over 50 percent. [+]At Least 38 Pts, 12 Reb, 7 Ast - Kobe Bryant Career
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ESPN Stats & Information |