Surging Mavericks await Kobe's return
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-07 09:33

Before the Dallas Mavericks held their last 11 opponents under 100 points, a team-record run that coincides with their NBA-best winning streak, they couldn't stop Kobe Bryant.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (8) leaps to save a loose ball in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks, Dec. 12, 2005, in Dallas. The Mavericks face Kobe and the Lakers once again on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006 in Dallas. [AP photo]

Before Bryant scored 81 points against Toronto two weeks ago, he had been on pace to do that against Dallas. He had 62 through three quarters, outscoring the Mavericks on his own Dec. 20, then didn't even play in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 22-point home victory.

"He probably could have had 80, or even more against us," Dirk Nowitzki said Monday.

"The expression on his face, he was very excited. His teammates were excited. Phil (Jackson) was kind of laughing," Jason Terry said. "It was depressing on our end."

Dallas' mood has greatly improved since then, but the Mavericks are about to find out how much better their defense really is. Next up are Bryant and the Lakers.

Tuesday night's game is in Dallas, where Bryant, the NBA scoring leader at 35.7 per game, put up 43 in his other matchup against the Mavs this season.

"The times we've played them this year were games where I couldn't afford to sit in the pocket and wait," Bryant said. "I had to come out and be assertive right off the bat because we'd come off a couple of tough losses."

That's not good news for Dallas because Los Angeles is in that situation again.

Getting ready for their sixth straight road game, the Lakers have three double-digit losses in a row. Included is a 10-point loss against Charlotte, which has the NBA's worst record.

Before the Lakers practiced in Dallas on Monday, Bryant said he hadn't seen the Mavericks play since that December game and wasn't sure if he would see a more aggressive defense.

"Maybe they'll wait and see if I get on a roll or something like that," Bryant said.

Wait too long, and it could be too late to slow him down.

Bryant, who averaged 43.4 points per game in January, has been the Lakers' leading scorer in all but six games this season — and 16 in a row. He leads the NBA in field goals made (11.7) and attempted (25.9) per game.

After the Mavericks' 110-91 victory over Seattle on Saturday night, several players were given DVDs filled with Bryant's highlights against them and other teams.

"I sure hope we're different. We seem to have been playing more physical basketball on the defensive end," Mavs coach Avery Johnson said. "Again, that was just one of those special games, the guy got on fire and obviously, since that's happened, we're not the team he's scored the most points against."

While Johnson has stressed defense since becoming coach last March, and was embarrassed by what happened against Bryant in December, he doesn't want his team to completely alter what it's been doing in recent weeks.

"It's not about us against a guy. It's about team defense and team offense," Johnson said. "We're not going to get so emotional to the standpoint that we lose who we are. ... No matter what happens, we're still moving in the right direction."

Johnson has stressed being physical and smart. Those are attributes he said were missing in the two losses to the Lakers. Dallas has lost only eight other games and is tied with San Antonio for the best record in the Western Conference (37-10).

No matter what they do defensively, the Mavericks know Bryant is still going to score his points.

"Obviously we don't mind him scoring 30 or 40 when he shoots the ball 30, 35 times," Nowitzki said. "The last two times, he's been very, very efficient with his scoring and shooting percentage. We'd like to make it harder on him, make him take tough shots and find the other guys some."

Their main goal, however, is to stretch the second-best winning streak in team history, behind only a 14-0 start three seasons ago. Detroit, which has the best record in the league, had won 11 in a row before a loss at New Jersey last week.

"As long as we win," Nowitzki said, "he can score 80."