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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) – What, Shaq worry about free throws?
|  | | Shaquille O'Neal, right, elbows into Dallas' Calvin Booth, earning an offensive foul. O'Neal had 35 points and 13 rebounds. |
"I won't worry about that ever again," the Lakers' Shaquille O'Neal said Friday night after he continued his recent run of
success at the line with a 14-of-17 performance on his way to 35
points in Los Angeles' 98-89 victory over Dallas.
O'Neal, a 50-percent career shooter from the line who dipped below 40 percent earlier this season, has been making them at around a 70-percent clip over the past seven games.
If he can keep it up, that will bury the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy of fouling him constantly.
"We can't Hack-a-Shaq him when he's shooting 70 percent from the free throw line," said Dallas coach Don Nelson, generally regarded as the first coach to use that strategy against O'Neal.
"If it gets below 50 percent, then that can be a tactic, but no
more (than 50 percent)."
Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson, whose team ended a two-game
losing streak and avoided its first three-game skid since April
1999, obviously is pleased that one of the Lakers' weaknesses – O'Neal at the line – seems to be disappearing.
"He feels very confident about playing the game and not worrying about having to get off a shot before he gets fouled," Jackson said. "He takes the foul and makes them pay for it."
O'Neal also had 13 rebounds and the Lakers made up for the
absence of Kobe Bryant, out for the fifth consecutive game with a
sore left foot, with a balanced scoring attack.
Brian Shaw had 14 points for Los Angeles, and Derek Fisher, Horace Grant and Isaiah Rider each added 12.
Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 24 points, but scored just five after
halftime. Michael Finley had 18 points in the loss, which ended the
Mavericks' three-game win streak.
O'Neal, 5 inches shorter than the Mavericks' 7-foot-6 Shawn
Bradley, still dominated the inside, either dribbling around or
shooting over the Dallas center, who at 265 pounds is 65 pounds
lighter than O'Neal.
"He's big, he's strong and he knows how to position his body so that he can counter whatever way you decide to guard him," said Bradley, who had 12 points and three rebounds.
Bryant, who is also expected to sit out Sunday's game against
the New York Knicks, watched the win over the Mavericks in street
clothes from the end of the Lakers' bench.
The defending NBA champions have gone 3-2 in his absence.
The Lakers, fourth in the conference standings and the scramble for homecourt advantage in the playoffs, moved 1½ games ahead of
the Mavericks.
Los Angeles led most of the way, including a 76-68 edge heading
into the fourth quarter and the Mavericks never seriously
threatened the rest of the way.
Game notes
The 24-second clock went out for a couple of minutes early in the first half, and the public address announcer was calling out
the time left at 15, 10 and 5 seconds. ... Jackson, asked about the
league's Board of Governors discussing rule changes to speed up the
game, smiled and said before the game: "They think 100 points is
the magical number. They should come and watch our games; we give
up 100 points every night." ... Bryant, the NBA's third-leading scorer with a
29.2-point average, hurt his ankle in the final minute of the
Lakers' 107-100 loss at Milwaukee on March 21.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
LA Lakers Clubhouse
Jackson clarifies 'sabotage' reference ... sort of
RECAPS
Philadelphia 102
Golden State 89
Toronto 110
New Jersey 99
Indiana 92
Boston 87
Denver 103
Charlotte 96
Detroit 100
Orlando 97
Utah 95
Cleveland 88
Portland 96
New York 79
Seattle 94
LA Clippers 84
LA Lakers 98
Dallas 89
Sacramento 110
Minnesota 98
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