Los Angeles Lakers Team Report - March 10

(Basketball News) - The Los Angeles Lakers start a season-high six-game road trip, as they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday at American Airlines Center.

The Mavericks and Lakers are meeting for the third time this season. In the two previous contests, both teams picked up a win on their homecourt. The clubs will play once more in the 2004-05 campaign, as the Lakers will host Dallas on April 17th at the Staples Center.

Overall, the Lakers have won six of their last nine against the Mavericks. The Lakers have lost four of their last six at Dallas.

Los Angeles will also visit the Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers on their road swing. The Lakers are just 9-17 as the visitor and has lost five of six and eight of its last 10 on the road.

The Lakers come into tonight’s game after going 2-1 on a three-game homestand. On Tuesday, Corey Maggette netted 30 points and Elton Brand scored 22 to go along with 15 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers posted a 110-101 victory over the intra-city rival Lakers at the Staples Center.

All-Star Kobe Bryant finished with a game-high 41 points in the loss to the Clippers, while former Clipper Lamar Odom scored 20 before being ejected with 1:47 to play in the contest after tossing the ball following a foul call.

Bryant is averaging 30.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the Lakers’ nine games since the All-Star break. He leads the Lakers in scoring (28.4 ppg) and assists (6.4 apg) this season.

The Lakers will visit the Bobcats on Saturday and will continue the swing next week. On January 30th, the Lakers defeated Charlotte, 101-90, at the Staples Center in the first-ever meeting between the clubs. Saturday’s contest will be the final game of the 2004-05 campaign between the teams.