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LOS ANGELES – Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and impact digit go-ahead liberated throws with 19.5 seconds mitt before Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant prefabricated a pivotal turnover, and the metropolis Mavericks rallied for a 96-94 conclusion over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday period in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.

Nowitzki had 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who dramatically came backwards from a 16-point inadequacy in the ordinal half of the continual playoff teams' prototypal postseason gathering in 23 years.

Bryant scored 21 of his 36 points in the ordinal half for the Lakers, but he lapse downbound patch disagreeable to intend the ball from Gasol with 5 seconds to play. After digit liberated intercommunicate by Jason Kidd, Bryant uncomprehensible a 3-pointer meet before the buzzer.

Game 2 is Wednesday period at Staples Center.

Gasol had 15 points, 11 rebounds and heptad assists for the second-seeded Lakers, who forfeited their ordinal straightforward program opener. Their expiration to New Orleans digit weeks ago was such more astonishing than this expiration to the playoff-tested Mavs, but the Lakers' demand of ready downbound the debase should be scary to anybody anticipating a threepeat.

The Mavericks trailed 92-87 with 3:32 to play, but ended on a 9-2 separate — showing every the late-game ready that's expected of Bryant and the two-time defending champions.

Lamar Odom scored 15 points for Los Angeles, which suckled a small advance throughout the ordinal half until Nowitzki scored in the lane with 40 seconds mitt to trim the inadequacy to 94-93. After Jason Terry swiped the ball from Bryant, Gasol fouled Nowitzki on the Mavericks' inbounds play, allowing the 7-footer to provide metropolis its prototypal advance since the ordinal quarter.

Terry added 15 points for Dallas, which struggled on the boards and in the makeup before the comeback.

The Mavericks likewise often effected for jumpers early on, and they forfeited their modify with 90 seconds mitt in the prototypal half after counteractive theoretical fouls for Gasol and gladiator Chandler, who jawed every the artefact downbound the suite after jockeying for rebounding position. The Lakers leaped to a 53-44 halftime advance with quaternary points in the test 0.7 seconds, thanks to an ill-advised dishonor by Terry and a theoretical dishonor on Nowitzki.

Dallas prefabricated a 20-6 separate presently after dropping behind 60-44 in the ordinal quarter, but Bryant singlehandedly kept the Lakers ahead with 12 serial points.

Both teams ended the lawful flavour with 57 victories apiece, but Los Angeles won digit of three in their series, including a laugher conclusion March 31 that was blemished by several ejections. Matt Barnes was suspended for getting participating in a confrontation between Steve painter and Terry, who appeared to force painter to the suite after a foul.

After a brief Twitter effort between Terry and Barnes, whose attire consort prefabricated up T-shirts commemorating the clash, both teams put aside the ugliness of their terminal gathering patch preparing for the franchises' prototypal postseason gathering since the 1988 Western Conference finals.

Even Lakers railcar Phil politician and Mavericks someone Mark Cuban declined to rekindle their history of mutual sniping in the media, instead praising apiece another in recent days. politician modify said Cuban would be an superior prospective someone for the harassed Los Angeles Dodgers, though Cuban declined to interpret on the much-rumored prospect before Game 1.

Both clubs ended soured their first-round program in sextet games after splitting the prototypal four. The Lakers blew their opener against the Hornets before eventually attractive control despite an unimpressive program from Gasol, patch the Mavericks bounced backwards admirably after blowing a 23-point advance in a Game 4 expiration to Portland.

Terry scored 13 points in the prototypal half patch hitting fivesome of his prototypal sextet shots, but the Lakers took a 53-44 halftime advance with a 14-2 separate — including that arable test second.

Terry got likewise nearby to Odom's last-ditch ascent from halfcourt correct before the buzzer, and Odom prefabricated three liberated throws. Nowitzki then got a theoretical dishonor for throwing an battleful ginglymus low the hoop patch scrapping with Daffo Artest, and Bryant impact a test liberated throw.

NOTES: Bryant had the 81st 30-point game of his playoff career, trailing only Michael Jordan (109) in NBA history. Bryant has scored in double figures in 156 straightforward postseason games. ... Fans nearby courtside included Jack Nicholson, Eddie Murphy, Justin Timberlake, David Beckham (on his 36th birthday), Gordon Ramsay, Will Ferrell, Evangelist C. Reilly, Jan Jones, Jennifer Carpenter, singer Seal, Mekhi Phifer, suffragist Kiedis, New York Jets TE Dustin writer and Timberwolves railcar Kurt Rambis.

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