Lakers rally late to extend streak
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Shannon Brown scored 21 points with hot shooting off the bench to spark the Los Angeles Lakers to a 98-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.
Brown knocked in five three-pointers, his last one sparking a 17-2 run in the fourth quarter that ensured the Lakers (13-2) held on for their fifth successive win.
Lamar Odom also recorded 21 points and Kobe Bryant added 20 for Los Angeles, which trailed by two points midway through the fourth quarter before Brown's three-pointer with 7:48 remaining sparked the scoring spree that put the game away.
Steve Blake contributed two more three-pointers during the spurt, and Matt Barnes also made one as the Lakers' bench tallied 39 points.
"We play together, try to execute on both ends and get the win," Brown told reporters. "We knew (the Bulls) come out tough and fortunately we got enough stops and enough buckets to win the game."
Derrick Rose scored a game-high 30 points and added eight assists for Chicago (7-5) while Joakim Noah added 19 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.
The Bulls stayed close with the Lakers throughout the game, briefly falling behind by 10 in the third where Rose scored 11 to rally his team.
But Los Angeles limited the All-Star guard to just three points in the fourth where they seized the contest.
Perfect game
Spaniard Pau Gasol finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers but shot just 3-for-10 one game after he produced a perfect game from the field and the free throw line on Sunday against the Golden State Warriors.
Brown led the Lakers with 18 points in the first half to help the team keep an early lead.
"He was remarkable," said Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson. "He's got so much confidence right now. He's really comfortable taking the shot and believes in it. We're encouraging him when it feels right, to shoot the ball."
In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki had a season-high 42 points with 12 rebounds, scoring almost half of Mavericks' points in their 88-84 win over Detroit.
The Mavericks were lethargic for much of the night and trailed by as many as 12 points in the third quarter. But they picked up the energy level late to secure their fifth straight win over the Pistons.
Nowitzki scored nine straight, capped by an 18-footer with 5:29 remaining for a 75-70 lead.
In Newark, New Jersey, Brook Lopez scored a season-high 32 points as the Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 107-101 in overtime and snapped a three-game losing skid.
Devin Harris added 23 of his 27 points in the second half for the Nets, who were playing their first home game in 10 days. Jamal Crawford had 21 points for the Hawks.
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