It was an ugly night at Staples Center, but the result was just what the Los Angeles Lakers wanted. Derek Fisher hit a three-pointer with 3.1 seconds left, giving the Lakers a comeback win over the Dallas Mavericks 73-70 Monday night at Staples Center.
Fisher scored nine of his 13 points in the fourth quarter and had two steals in a stretch of about a minute midway through the fourth quarter to give the Lakers the lead. The Lakers were flirting with their franchise record for low points in a game in the shot clock era, of 70.
Andrew Bynum scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, while Kobe Bryant scored 14 points and dished out seven assists, snapping his string of 40-point games at four. The Lakers have won nine straight home games.
The Lakers scored all of seven points in the third quarter. Seven. In the quarter they made just three of 19 shots from the field. Yet they entered the fourth quarter only down five points as the Mavericks struggled as well, with just 51 points through three periods.
Dirk Nowtizki led Dallas with 21 points. Lamar Odom, in his first game back in Los Angeles since getting traded, was the only other Maverick in double figures with 10 points off the bench. Jason Terry scored seven points off the bench, including hitting a 14-foot jumper with 9.9 seconds left to tie the score, setting the stage for Fisher's heroics.
The Lakers shot 38.2% from the field, including one for 10 from three-point range, with Fisher's game winner the only made shot. Dallas shot 35.0% from the field, including four for 26 (15.4%) from three-point range.
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