Lakers 105, Mavericks 103

Saturday December 07, 2002

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) Phil Jackson told his team not to look at the score when they trailed Dallas by 28 points at halftime.

The fans certainly noticed and booed as the Los Angeles Lakers headed to the locker room after the Mavericks shot 51 percent in the first half Friday night.

``They'll never leave another game early,'' Kobe Bryant said after the Lakers staged the second-biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA history to stun the Mavs 105-103.

Bryant scored 21 of his 27 points in the fourth, when the Lakers trailed by 27 at the start. His turnaround jumper snapped a 103-all tie with 8 seconds remaining.

``Sometimes things happen for you when you play hard and they did,'' Bryant said. ``It feels good because we had to really fight.''

Shaquille O'Neal added 26 points and 11 rebounds for the three-time NBA champions, whose fourth-quarter comeback was one shy of the NBA record of 28 points by Milwaukee against Atlanta on Nov. 25, 1977.

``We played better defense. We had a lot of intensity and we never gave up,'' O'Neal said. ``The first 20 games have been really bad. It really couldn't get any worse. We just kept playing, kept fighting, kept shooting.''

The Mavs were outscored 44-15 in the fourth after dominating the Lakers through the first three quarters.

``We choked, just flat-out choked,'' said Nick Van Exel, who had 25 points, including five of the Mavs' season-high 15 3-pointers.

Michael Finley missed a 3-pointer with a second remaining for the Mavs, who have lost 24 consecutive games to the Lakers in Los Angeles over the last 12 years.

``We stopped playing. We had a hard time scoring and we were terrible defensively in the fourth quarter,'' said guard Steve Nash, who had 22 points. ``It was too easy in the first half and too difficult in the fourth.''

The Lakers shot an amazing 16-of-18 from the field and hit eight of 11 free throws in the fourth.

Bryant pulled his groin in the third quarter when the Lakers trailed by 30. Trainer Gary Vitti was on his way to tell Jackson when Bryant yanked him aside.

``Gary was going to rat me out,'' Bryant said. ``I had to jerk his arm out of the socket and say, `I'm all right, man. Don't snitch on me. Let me play.'''

Jackson said, ``I don't know what it's going to mean for our next game. He was hobbled and yet played through it. I was really concerned.''

The Lakers and Indiana Pacers are the only teams to beat Dallas this season.

``This is indeed one of the toughest losses I can remember as a coach,'' said Dallas coach Don Nelson, who has 40 years of NBA experience. ``We don't normally lose games when we're ahead. This is an exception to the rule by an exceptional team.''

The Lakers' comeback from their halftime deficit was the second-largest second-half rally in league history, trailing only Utah's comeback from a 34-point deficit against Denver on Nov. 29, 1996, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

``We could have easily just rolled over and I don't think anybody would have really been too surprised at that because we've been playing so bad,'' Bryant said. ``It shows the heart of a champion still beats inside of us. We're fighters.''

The Mavs had their four-game winning streak snapped, but their 17-2 record is the best in the NBA.

``It's shocking,'' Dallas center Raef LaFrentz said.

Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavs, whose last win against the Lakers in Los Angeles was on Dec. 12, 1990.

``For us to have a chance to beat them in a playoff situation, we have to win here,'' Nelson said before the game. ``And if we're able to do it, I don't even know what it means because they're not playing like they will play in another month or two. It's a big game for them to try and turn their season around.''

Perhaps that's exactly what the Lakers did.

After throwing the ball away and shooting barely 40 percent over three quarters, the Lakers opened the fourth with a 21-4 run to get within 10 with 6:55 remaining.

The Mavs were clearly rattled by the Lakers' surge, with Van Exel committing two straight turnovers before Nowitzki's errant pass traveled across the court and landed in the seats.

By then, the Lakers trailed 96-93.

Nash and Bryant exchanged layups before Nash was fouled by O'Neal and made both free throws for a 100-95 lead with 2:03 left.

Bryant scored on a driving layup and then Brian Shaw hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 100 with 1:28 left. The Lakers took their first lead of the game, 101-100, on a free throw by Robert Horry.

But Van Exel hit a 3-pointer his fifth to put Dallas back in front 103-101 with 1:04 left.

Shaw hit a jumper for the final tie at 103. Nash missed and a jump ball was called despite one referee signaling a foul on the Lakers. LaFrentz won the tip over Devean George, but Nash turned the ball over to O'Neal. Bryant scored the winning basket as the fans erupted in applause and screams.< ^Notes:@ Dallas F Eduardo Najera wasn't with the team because of a sore left knee. ... The Lakers are 1-10 when trailing at halftime this season. ... The Lakers activated F-C Samaki Walker from the injured list and made room on the roster by waiving C Soumaila Samake. Walker missed six games after straining his lower back.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)