DALLAS DOOMSDAY: LAKERS WIN L.A. ENDS MAVS' WINNING STREAK LAKERS 101, DALLAS 98.

Byline: ROSS SILER Staff Writer

This is why no team wants to face the Lakers, whether in the regular season with two injured starters or in the playoffs come May and beyond. Least of all the Dallas Mavericks after a stirring Sunday night at Staples Center.

The Lakers denied the Mavericks their 14th consecutive victory and earned one of their most improbable wins since the Shaquille O'Neal trade. They pumped their fists and congratulated one another after the 101-98 triumph.

They did so by rallying from nine points down in the fourth quarter and four down with 1:29to play. Kobe Bryant played the final 12 minutes and scored 14 of his 26 points in the quarter.

But Sasha Vujacic made the night's biggest shot.

Vujacic connected on three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the last coming with 28.5 seconds left off a pass from Luke Walton. Back on defense, Smush Parker erased Jason Terry's drive with a spectacular left- handed block at the rim.

After searching for his shot all season, Vujacic made 6 of 7 field goals and finished with a career-best 16 points Sunday. Walton had 21 points and six assists, and the Lakers won their fourth consecutive game and 900th of Phil Jackson's coaching career.

Former Lakers forward Devean George had a chance to tie the score but missed a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining. The Mavericks got 29points from Dirk Nowitzki and 20 points from Josh Howard but lost for the 10thtime in 12games at Staples Center.

After trailing the entire fourth quarter, the Lakers went ahead 97-96 with 55.9 seconds left on two free throws by Bryant. The possession before, Bryant drove the lane and scored while being fouled by Nowitzki.

The Lakers closed to 92-91 with three minutes left as Dallas committed two defenders to stopping Bryant, who moved the ball to his open teammates. Walton buried one 3-pointer and got to the foul line.

Vujacic connected on a 3-pointer of his own.

Bryant went to the bench with 1:07 left in the third quarter and came back for the start of the fourth quarter, a shorter than usual rest.

But Bryant drilled three jumpers in a row to start the fourth and electrify the crowd. He nearly connected on a fourth shot as well, a 3-pointer that would have cut the Mavericks' lead to 82-79 before it bounced in and out.

Bryant had made just 4 of 12 shots through three quarters but hit 5 of 8 in the fourth.

Bryant added eight rebounds and six assists in 41 minutes.

The Mavericks came into Sunday having won 13 games in a row and owning the NBA's best record at 27-7. The streak started with a 110-101 victory over the Lakers on Dec. 13, also the last time Dallas allowed more than 100 points to an opponent.

Devin Harris beat the third- quarter buzzer by racing end to end for a layup that put Dallas ahead 77-68. Harris did the same thing with 2:20 left in the quarter after Bryant drove and had his shot blocked by DeSagana Diop.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson was eager to face the Mavericks, although the timing could have been better with injured starters Lamar Odom (sprained knee ligament) and Kwame Brown (severe ankle sprain) out for most of January.

``It's the right time for us,'' Jackson said, ``I wish we were healthy, obviously, but it's a good measure for these young guys.''

Jackson's game plan the first time against the Mavericks was to hold down two of their threeprimary scorers. Instead, the Lakers gave up a combined 78 points to Howard, Terry and Nowitzki as Dallas shot 60 percent for the game.

Before Sunday's game, Jackson acknowledged that the Lakers would have to cope as best they could on the defensive end without Odom and Brown.

``One of the things we've become is more of an offensive team than (having) the defensive capabilities of holding anybody down right now,'' Jackson said. ``We just have to work on outscoring people.''

The Lakers fell into a zone defense at times and led the Mavericks 27-21 after the first quarter. They built an 11-point lead even as Andrew Bynum, Brian Cook and Parker all went to the bench after picking up two fouls.

Bynum had posted consecutive double-doubles but went to the bench only 5:19 into the game. He picked up a third foul in the second quarter, forcing Jackson to play Ronny Turiaf for nearly 17 minutes in the half.

Bryant scored eight points and made 4 of 10 shots in the first half, with the Mavericks happy to see anything other than a 62-point game out of the star guard. Bryant did have fourassists and the Lakers shared the ball well.

Bryant also was whistled for a technical foul by referee Olandis Poole with 4:08 left in the second quarter. Bryant wanted a foul call when Howard knocked an entry pass away from him; Poole called Bryant for the technical in matter of moments.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) THE LUCKY ONES

(2) Dallas' Erick Dampier, right, tries to keep the Lakers' Smush Parker from driving to the basket.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer