Rajon Rondo scores 21, Mavericks pull out the close victory against Lakers
Tyson Chandler posted his 14th double-double this season, scoring 15 points and registering 12 rebounds, to help the Dallas Mavericks steal one from the Los Angeles Lakers, 102-98. Dallas (21-10) picked up the win after falling to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
Chandler finished 5-7 from the field, in a solid outing. Other key performers for Dallas were Rajon Rondo with 21 points and eight rebounds, Monta Ellis with 15 points and seven assists, and Dirk Nowitzki with 14 points and eight rebounds. Despite the loss, Carlos Boozer put up 18 points off the bench for Los Angeles on 9-16 shooting. He also added eight rebounds. Jordan Hill contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds, Wesley Johnson finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ed Davis put up 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Despite committing the third-fewest errors in the NBA (TO% of 11.9%), the Lakers struggled with 16 turnovers against a Mavericks defense that causes the third-most (opponents' TO% of 16.1%).
This drops Los Angeles (9-21) to 0-2 against Dallas on the year.
Coming up next, the Mavericks square off against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are 15-16 on the year. The Lakers go up against the Phoenix Suns, currently 16-14 this season. The Lakers have fallen to Phoenix the last two times they have met.
