Lakers 112 - Mavericks 108

The Lakers have already made the playoffs but now the best thing for them to do is to get the best possible seed that they could. Not that ant team would be a breeze to get by in the West because the 7th or 8th seeded teams are probably going to be some of the best 7th and 8th seeded teams ever but having that home court advantage will always help. Looks like the team that may stand in the Lakers way of that #1 seed could be New Orleans, who the Lakers will play later this week. Tonight though, the Lakers had to worry about the Dallas Mavericks who are trying to not fall any deeper in the standings as Golden State and Denver are right on their trail.

The Lakers needed big games from three players to fend off these Mavericks. Kobe Bryant did his usual thing and scored 25 points in the game, Pau Gasol also had 25 points. Lamar Odom had a GREAT game as he scored 31 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assist, he shot 12-14 from the field. No one said it was going to be easy though, with 2:21 remaining Odom's layup gave the Lakers a 103-102 lead, their first since the final three minutes of the first quarter. They ended the game with a 9-2 spurt that included a three-point play by Gasol and two free throws each by Bryant and Sasha Vujacic in the final 18 seconds.

Nowitzki, who recently came back from a sprained ankle led the Dallas Mavericks with 27 points.