LAKERS VS MAVERICKS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 114 MAVERICKS 107

The Lakers matched the 2001-02 championship club for the best start after 14 games in the franchise’s 61-year history. That team won three more games before getting their second loss. Even the 1971-72 squad that won an NBA-record 33 consecutive games with Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor lost three of their first nine before going on their historic winning streak.


“We’re a pretty smart team,” Bryant said. “So if something is not going our way in the first half, we all come in here and not just talk about playing harder, but we also talk about the execution of it. That’s the way Phil (Jackson) has raised us to play and think.”

Kobe brushed off a poor shooting night against the Nets and dropped a season high 35 points on 14-26 shooting as the Lakers came back from a 12 point deficit and used a 17-0 run to improve to 13-1 and still the best record in the NBA.

Not at 100%, Andrew Bynum still put up 18 points with 10 boards. He was very aggressive and attacked the basket to get to the line 7 times and converted for 6 of them. Bynum was also changing shots in the paint along with Pau to force the Mavs to shoot from the outside. He and Gasol ended with 2 blocks a piece. Pau had a quiet but efficient night shooting 7-12 for 14 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 0 turnovers.

Trevor Ariza and D Fish came through today. Ariza scored 15 points and was a major catalyst on defense. Fisher is a very streaky shooter, and when he's on, HE'S ON. Fish hit 8 of 14 shots scoring 19 points and 3 for 5 beyond the arc.

With Josh Howard out the Mavs were able to keep up with the Lakers. They were up 12 before the Lakeshow started to break the game open in the 3rd quarter. Jason Terry scored 29 points and almost seemed that he got any shot he wanted. Jason Kidd was just shy off a triple double with 12 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Dirk had a double double with 19 and 12. When Josh Howard comes back we have to adjust to another scoring threat at the forward position, and from the past times we have met the Mavs, we have trouble with Jason Terry. The key is defense, we'll see what Phil does to force tough shots.

Next up, the Jermaine O'Neal-less Toronto Raptors. He is listed as day to day but I doubt he would want to come back his first game having to face Bynum and Pau on the inside. Chris Bosh is having an MVP season and we face another rising PG in Jose Calderon. Let's make it 14-1 sunday fellas!