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LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant’s late heroics lifted the Los Angeles
Lakers to a 108-104 overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks on
Sunday in the National Basketball Association.
Bryant scored 30 of his season-high 52 points
during the final quarter and overtime—including scoring Los
Angeles’ final 14 points in regulation.
Spain’s Pau Gasol added 17 points and 14
rebounds for the Lakers, who have won 11 of their last 12 games and
12 of 14 since acquiring Gasol from Memphis.
“To say one single thing did it, Kobe Bryant
is probably the reason we didn’t lose,” Lakers coach Phil
Jackson said.
“We want to send a message that we are for
real, that we’re going to compete and hopefully we’ll need to be
dealt with,” said Bryant, who posted 50-plus points for the 22nd
time in his career.
“He has these nights, lots of these,”
Mavericks coach Avery Johnson said.
Jason Kidd notched 15 points, 11 assists and six
rebounds for Dallas. But he missed a potential game-tying free throw
which could have sent the game to double-overtime.
Kidd was fouled while making a lay-up by Gasol
with 10 seconds left in the extra session, but his free throw
bounced off the rim.
“I felt confident at the free-throw line, but
I just left it short,” Kidd said. “You can never leave it short
if you want it to go in, so that falls on my shoulders. To tie the
game, I have to be able to step up and make that free throw.”
Dirk Nowitzki, who had 30 points, had a shot to
tie but came up empty with two seconds left in overtime.
The Lakers, who saw their 10-game winning streak
snapped on Friday in Portland, made their move late in the game.
After Lamar Odom missed on two free-throw
attempts with six seconds to play in regulation, Bryant got the
rebound and was fouled immediately, hitting both shots from the line
to put the Lakers up 93-90.
Dallas called a timeout to advance the ball, and
Nowitzki inbounded and got the ball back before hitting a
three-pointer with two seconds left to knot the score at 93-93.
The Lakers had one more opportunity, but the
Mavericks stole the inbounds pass to send the contest to overtime.
-- AFP
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