Mavericks at Lakers
The Dallas Mavericks have inched ahead into the seventh position of the Western Conference race and have a solid chance to stay there when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Dallas made 14 3-pointers while posting a 113-107 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday to move a half-game ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns. Lakers center Pau Gasol (vertigo) will sit out for the fifth time in six games and might be done for the season.
Los Angeles has lost 50 games for the first time since posting a 30-52 record in 1974-75. The injury-riddled Lakers are ahead of only the lowly Utah Jazz when it comes to the Western Conference standings. Dallas had blown three fourth-quarter leads against the Clippers this season and had a late 12-point lead with under three minutes left trimmed to two on Thursday before prevailing. The Mavericks are playing the second of a four-game trip that concludes with games against the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (45-31): Forward Dirk Nowitzki made sure Dallas didn’t miss out on the opportunity to move into seventh place by producing 26 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over the Clippers. Nowitzki drained four 3-pointers, including two during a 10-0 surge that gave the Mavericks a 10-point lead with 6:35 remaining. The double-double was the third in five games for Nowitzki, who is averaging 26.2 points and 9.6 rebounds during the stretch. The All-Star only had three double-doubles all season before recently elevating his work on the boards.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (25-50): Gasol played Tuesday against Portland but had a severe recurrence of vertigo Wednesday in Sacramento, and the team is considering shutting him down for the season. If that occurs, the contest against the Trail Blazers could turn out to Gasol’s final game with the Lakers as he is slated to become a free agent and Los Angeles hasn’t made any recent attempts to re-sign him. Gasol is averaging 17.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 60 games.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Dallas has won this season’s previous two meetings by an average of 16 points.
2. The availability of Lakers PG Steve Nash (back) will be decided Friday while G/F Xavier Henry (knee, wrist) is doubtful.
3. Mavericks G Vince Carter hit four 3-points against the Clippers and has made at least two in eight straight games.