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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
DALLAS (AP) -- The term Hack-a-Shaq doesn't do justice to the way the Dallas Mavericks abused Shaquille O'Neal on Friday night.
|  | | The Mavs sent six players at Shaquille O'Neal, who responded with an above-par 10-for-20 effort at the free-throw line. |
"It's clown basketball," O'Neal said.
O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers had the last laugh as Kobe Bryant scored 35 points and the big fella withstood being defended by six big men and a shirt-grabbing guard to score 28 points in a 108-103 victory.
"They know who the baddest big man is," O'Neal said.
Dallas coach Don Nelson made no pretense of his game plan, using
bit player Mark Bryant as his first reserve center, then going to Shawn Bradley and seldom-used rookie Donnell Harvey -- all in the first quarter.
Nelson threw six guys at O'Neal in the first 14 minutes and had emptied his bench by the middle of the second quarter. The six Dallas centers had 17 fouls and 15 points in 39 minutes.
"It's the norm for us now," said Mavs forward Michael Finley,
who had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. "Coach
prepares us for it a couple of days before. It's about odds. We
think it's better odds to not make him dunk and make two free
throws instead. But, tonight, our strategy backfired."
O'Neal was so sure it was coming that he spent extra time
working on his free throws earlier in the day. However, he missed
seven of his first 10 foul shots, practically begging the Mavericks
to keep it up.
Then O'Neal found a groove and finished 10-of-20 from the line. It's the most foul shots he's made this season. The 39 attempts by the Lakers tied their season-high, which was set the last time Los Angeles played the Mavericks.
"It never seems to work against me," O'Neal said. "The percentages are always in my favor."
He's right: Los Angeles is 33-9 in games when he shoots at least
15 free throws. In those 42 games, O'Neal is 424-of-759, or 56
percent.
"The league has to do something about that before someone gets hurt," O'Neal said. "Anyone who tries to get dirty with me, they'll get hurt before I do."
At times, Dallas' clown routine turned into slapstick.
Bryant fouled O'Neal within three seconds of entering the game, prompting Nelson to mutter, "What'd you think he was going to do?"
During a four-guard, one-forward alignment in the third quarter,
rookie guard Courtney Alexander found himself closest to O'Neal, so
he grabbed the back of the O'Neal's jersey. The funny part was, it
worked -- O'Neal wound up fouling Alexander on a rebound on that
possession, then showed his first signs of frustration.
Otherwise, O'Neal behaved well. His only other retorts were
glaring at the Dallas bench whenever he made both foul shots and a
one-time holler at Nelson, who had turned away, after a 3-pointer
by Bryant forced the Mavs to call timeout.
"He really prevailed tonight," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.
Los Angeles used a big second quarter to take a 20-point
halftime lead, then Dallas rallied to make it 100-98 with two
minutes left before Bryant drilled a long jumper while off balance
and facing tight coverage. After bumping into Nelson on his
follow-through, Bryant couldn't help but smile.
"It's always interesting playing them," said Bryant, who was
12-of-20 and hit all 10 of his free throws. "You don't really know
what kind of defense they're going to play."
Los Angeles, which also had to hold off a Dallas comeback in a
99-97 victory earlier this month, improved to 4-0 on a five-game
road trip that ends Monday at Portland. The Lakers have won five in
a row.
The Mavericks, playing before their first home sellout of the
season, ended a four-game winning streak and a five-game streak at
home, their longest in 12 years.
Dirk Nowitzki remained hot, scoring 29 points for the second straight game, with 14 coming in the fourth-quarter comeback.
Game notes
O'Neal and Bryant had 40 points at halftime. Dallas had 41.
... O'Neal, Bryant and Rick Fox scored Los Angeles' first 42
points. ... Steve Nash scored 16 of his 18 points in the second
half. ... Fox had 15 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. ...
Nelson remains tied with Bill Fitch for No. 3 on the all-time NBA
win list at 944.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Dallas Clubhouse
RECAPS
Utah 109
Indiana 101
New York 91
Philadelphia 71
Atlanta 78
Toronto 72
Miami 103
Cleveland 95
LA Lakers 108
Dallas 103
Charlotte 83
Minnesota 74
San Antonio 105
Golden State 87
Denver 116
Portland 96
Seattle 107
Washington 87
Sacramento 95
Vancouver 93
FROM
ATHLETESDIRECT
Kobe Bryant Official Site
Rick Fox Official Site
Mark Madsen Official Site
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