• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Red-hot Lakers eyeing best start in six seasons

Nov 11, 2008 - 3:04 PM Los Angeles (5-0) at Dallas (2-4) 8:30 p.m. EST

DALLAS (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Lakers are the hottest team in the NBA, and if history repeats itself, could be in the midst of a special season.

The Lakers go for their best start in six seasons when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

Los Angeles, who advanced to the NBA Finals last season before being ousted is six games by the Boston Celtics, has opened the new campaign with five straight wins by an average of 22.4 points and are pursuing their first 6-0 start since 2001-02 - the last year it won the championship.

Despite trailing by 16 points in the second quarter on Sunday, the Lakers stormed back to claim a 111-82 victory against the Houston Rockets - the fourth time this season Los Angeles has won by at least 18 points.

Rockets coach Rick Adelman was highly impressed with his first live look at the defending Western Conference champions.

"Five games into it, I guess they are (the best)," Adelman said. "I mean, they've won every game by 20 points-plus. They are playing very well right now."

The Lakers dominance is bad news for the Mavericks, who have dropped two straight games and three of their last four overall, including a dismal 103-92 loss to the previously winless Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.