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Lakers continue to streak, top Mavs

Apr 1, 2011 - 6:06 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant scored 28 points while Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom each recorded double-doubles, as the Los Angeles Lakers won a testy battle with the Dallas Mavericks, 110-82.

Bynum ended with 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Odom had 16 and 11 and sparked the Lakers early in the fourth quarter, helping the club win its eighth straight contest to pull within 2 1/2 games of the Western Conference- leading San Antonio Spurs.

Dirk Nowitzki netted 27 points for the Mavericks, who had a five-game winning streak snapped to fall 1 1/2 games behind LA for the No. 2 seed in the conference standings.

After a seesaw first half, the Lakers never trailed in the final 24 minutes.

"We played a solid second half. We played with the intensity we had to," Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said.

They moved ahead, 65-55, four minutes into the third quarter via Pau Gasol's tip-in off a Bynum miss, then put the final nail in Dallas' coffin early in the fourth

Odom hit a trio of three-pointers that were technically on consecutive possessions. The Sixth Man of the Year candidate nailed a three late in the third for an 82-70 lead, and opened the final stanza with back-to-back makes from long range.

For good measure, Odom drove the lane for a layup for a 20-point lead, and things got heated shortly thereafter when Jason Terry gently shoved Steve Blake to the floor.

Matt Barnes came to the aid of his teammate by shoving Terry, then got into a brief altercation with a Mavs assistant and was immediately ejected. Blake, Terry and Brendan Haywood were also ejected following the fracas.

When play resumed, the Lakers continued to stay in front by double digits and cruised to the finish line.

"It was a competitive game and things got chippy," Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle said. "It was a tough night offensively."

A back-and-forth first quarter ended with LA holding a 28-26 lead, and a similar second frame saw the hosts take a 54-51 edge into the locker room.

Game Notes

The Lakers, who improved to 16-1 after the All-Star break, play at Utah on Friday, while the Mavericks head to Golden State and Portland over the weekend to finish a six-game road swing...The Lakers have won 10 in a row at Staples Center...Odom became the 23rd player in NBA history to reach 12,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 3,000 assists...LA's Shannon Brown was also ejected late in the fourth for shoving Brian Cardinal..Gasol logged 20 points and seven boards.