Lowly Lakers ease past Mavs

DALLAS: The Los Angeles Lakers eased past the conference-leading Dallas Mavericks 100-89 on Thursday, making a mockery of the three-time defending NBA champion’s lowly seventh position in the West.

The defeat was just the Mavericks’ eighth home loss of the season. Shaquille O’Neal had a huge night, notching 31 points while grabbing 17 rebounds. Teammate Kobe Bryant added 19 points and Derek Fisher notched up 18. Steve Nash paced Dallas with 26 points, with fellow all-star Dirk Nowitzki pouring in 25 while pulling down 22 boards. The slick-shooting Nash was four-of-six from beyond the arc. The defeat was the seventh for Dallas in 10 meetings with the West’s other contenders - the Lakers, Sacramento Kings and San Antonio Spurs.

In Atlanta: The Hawks put a dent in the Washington Wizards’ playoff plans with a 91-89 win. Shareef Abdur-Rahim paced the Hawks with 24 points, nailing an off-balance shot at the buzzer for the 91-89 victory. It hit both the rim and backboard before dropping in.  Team-mate Jason Terry added 18 points while dishing out 10 assists. Michael Jordan, at 40 years old gave it his all in a losing cause, notching 22 points, 12 in the final period, while grabbing a season-high 14 rebounds and serving up seven assists. Jerry Stackhouse had 15 more points for Washington, now two and a half matches behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

In Portland: The Trail Blazers appeared to be still suffering the effects of an internal squabble, as they fell 93-88 to the Utah Jazz. Ageless Karl Malone notched 21 points to pace the Jazz, with Matt Harpring adding 17, including a crucial three-pointer in the final half minute. Another veteran, John Stockton, racked up 15 points while dishing out 10 assists. Rasheed Wallace topped Portland with 23 points.  Blazers forward Zach Randolph punched team-mate Ruben Patterson during practice on Wednesday, earning a two-game suspension.