Lakers edge Mavericks in over-time
Spain's Pau Gasol sank back-to-back three-pointers in overtime to spark the Los Angeles Lakers past the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks 112-108 on Sunday. Andrew Bynum had 23 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Lakers while Ramon Sessions added 22 points, Gasol contributed 20 points and 10 rebounds and Metta World Peace added 18 points for the hosts. The Lakers won their fourth game in a row and improved to 4-1 without star guard Kobe Bryant, the NBA scoring leader who missed his fifth game in a row because of a shin injury. At 39-22, the Lakers moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers atop the Pacific division in the NBA's tightest division race. The Lakers have the third-best record in the Western Conference. After regulation time ended deadlocked at 98-98, the Lakers took charge early in overtime on Gasol's back-to-back shots from beyond the arc. "I'm glad I was able to hit those shots," Gasol said. "I stuck with it and my teammates found me. We worked hard until the last second of every possession. We were happy we were able to fight through everything." The Mavericks had a chance to level the game at 110-110 with five seconds remaining in overtime but Jason Terry missed a layup and the Lakers hit two free throws to seal the victory and finish a four-game season sweep of Dallas. The Mavericks, who fell to 34-27 and stand sixth in the West, were led by Dirk Nowitzki's 24 points and 14 rebounds, but the German star was only 9-of-28 in shooting from the field. Terry added 21 points and Delonte West had 20.
