Associated Press Associated Press ADVERTISING DALLAS — The Los Angeles Lakers expect offensive production from Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Now they’re learning what newcomer Ramon Sessions can do. Bryant scored 30 points, Gasol added 27 points and nine rebounds,
Associated Press
DALLAS — The Los Angeles Lakers expect offensive production from Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Now they’re learning what newcomer Ramon Sessions can do.
Bryant scored 30 points, Gasol added 27 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers stopped the Dallas Mavericks’ four-game winning streak with a 109-93 victory on Wednesday night.
Sessions contributed 17 points and nine assists in his fourth game since he was acquired in a trade with Cleveland on March 15. Sessions’ ability to penetrate into the heart of the defense led to points for himself and easy shots for teammates.
“The kid Sessions made the game easy for everybody,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. “He had a very good all-around game. You can see how his speed can help us, his ability to … turn the corner and get into the teeth of the defense.”
Gasol said Sessions brings something fresh to the mix.
“He definitely is a point guard that creates a lot of pick-and-rolls, and gets us points in transition, too,” said Gasol, who went 13 for 16 from the field. “He gets in the lane, and he can knock down the shot himself.”
Sessions is learning the Lakers’ offense on the fly.
“(Tuesday) night was the first time I was really in the game down the stretch, and I didn’t feel I really knew the plays,” Sessions said. “I went over them today, and I feel more confident now.”
Dirk Nowitzki had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Jason Terry scored 23 points for the defending NBA champion Mavericks, who fell to 0-3 against the Lakers this season.
The Lakers ended a two-game skid and have won six of eight overall. They were on the second leg of a back-to-back following Tuesday night’s 107-104 loss at Houston.
The Lakers broke open the game with a 24-6 spurt in the second quarter, capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Matt Barnes and Sessions for a 51-38 advantage.
Barnes and Bryant added 3-pointers during the decisive run, with the Lakers building a 57-44 halftime edge.
Los Angeles shot 57 percent (25 for 44) in the first half, led by Gasol’s 6 for 7 and Sessions’ 5 for 6.
Bryant pulled off a spectacular three-point play midway through the third quarter, first spinning in a no-look reverse layup after Gasol’s alley-oop pass. He was fouled on the attempt by Jason Kidd, and Bryant added a free throw that put his team in front, 69-55.
Dallas finished the third quarter with a 12-6 run to narrow the deficit to 80-72.
But the Lakers took control by opening the final quarter with a 10-4 spurt, capped by Gasol’s 3-pointer with 8:04 left for a 90-76 lead.
“It was tough all night,” Nowitzki said. “You give up (58 percent shooting by the Lakers) on your home floor, that won’t cut it. Every time we made a little push, they answered.”
Mavericks starters Shawn Marion (sore left knee) and Brendan Haywood (sprained right knee) each missed their third straight game. Dallas is also minus a third starter, Delonte West, who sat out his 18th straight game with a fractured right ring finger.
Marion tried to talk his way back into the lineup, but was overruled by coach Rick Carlisle and team medical personnel. Carlisle said it wouldn’t be fair to Marion “to throw him out there against Kobe Bryant” after a layoff.
The Mavericks especially missed Marion’s defense against Bryant. In the first two meetings, Bryant went 11 for 37 from the floor and scored a total of 29 points with Marion as the primary defender.
This time, Bryant went 11 for 18, although Carlisle refused to use Marion’s absence as an excuse.
“We can’t bellyache about guys being out with injuries,” Carlisle said. “It’s one of the realities of the season. I’m not into that.”
It was another tough night for former Laker Lamar Odom, who finished with one point, one rebound and one assist in almost 24 minutes.
“I’m not going to blame it on anything,” Odom said. “It’s just something I have to figure out.”
THUNDER 114,
CLIPPERS 91
OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant had 32 points and nine rebounds, Russell Westbrook added 19 points and Oklahoma City Thunder shut down Blake Griffin to beat the Clippers.
Playing in his hometown, Griffin was held to a career-low seven points in the rematch of a Clippers victory perhaps best remembered for his emphatic dunk over Kendrick Perkins.
BULLS 94, RAPTORS 82
TORONTO — John Lucas scored all 13 of his points in the fourth quarter, Luol Deng had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Chicago rallied to beat Toronto.
Kyle Korver also came up big in the final quarter, scoring all 10 of his points in the fourth as the Bulls came back after trailing by 12 early in the second half.
SPURS 116,
TIMBERWOLVES 100
SAN ANTONIO — Tim Duncan had 21 points and 15 rebounds, and San Antonio beat Minnesota despite playing most of the game without All-Star guard Tony Parker.
Stephen Jackson and Gary Neal each added 16 points for the Spurs, who won their fourth straight and fifth in their last six.
KNICKS 82, 76ERS 79
PHILADELPHIA — Amare Stoudemire had 21 points and nine rebounds to lead New York over Philadelphia for its fifth straight victory.
Jeremy Lin scored 18 points and Carmelo Anthony had 10 to help the Knicks pull within three games of the Atlantic Division leaders.
MAGIC 103, SUNS 93
ORLANDO, Fla. — Ryan Anderson hit seven 3-pointers and scored 29 points, and Dwight Howard added 28 points and 16 rebounds to help Orlando hold off Phoenix.
Orlando led by as many as 22 before the Suns rallied with under 5 minutes to play. But the Magic, who were 11 for 23 from beyond the arc, were able to string together enough baskets down the stretch to hold on.
HAWKS 103,
CAVALIERS 102, OT
ATLANTA — Joe Johnson hit a tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation and knocked down a baseline jumper with 10 seconds left in overtime, giving Atlanta the win over Cleveland.
The Hawks rallied from a six-point deficit in OT, pulling even on Johnson’s third trey of the night and a three-point play by Josh Smith, who led Atlanta with 32 points and 17 rebounds.
WIZARDS 108, NETS 89
NEWARK, N.J. — Nene had 22 points and 10 rebounds in his Washington debut, and the Wizards beat New Jersey in a game marred by the third-quarter ejections of Nets’ All-Star point guard Deron Williams and head coach Avery Johnson.
Williams and Johnson were tossed by referee Josh Tiven with 5:18 left in the quarter for arguing a non-call on a Williams’ drive to the basket seconds earlier. Tiven appeared to call all four technical fouls, getting Williams first and then the coach.
WARRIORS 101,
HORNETS 92
NEW ORLEANS — Rookie Klay Thompson scored a career-high 27 points, David Lee added 25 and Golden State ended a four-game losing streak.
The Warriors trailed 58-51 midway through the third before Thompson sparked a 20-5 run. He hit a 3-pointer and converted a three-point play to give the Warriors a 60-58 lead, and Brandon Rush hit a wide open 3-pointer that gave Golden State the lead for good, 63-60.
NUGGETS 116,
PISTONS 115
DENVER — JaVale McGee rebounded a missed free throw following a basket with 5 seconds remaining and dunked to give Denver the win.
Not a bad Denver debut for McGee, who completed a four-point possession as the Nuggets held on despite wasting a 25-point lead.
