Bryant had 38 points to win a scoring duel with Nowitzki, and Steve Nash helped beat his former team by scoring 20 points for the first time with the Los Angeles Lakers in a 103-99 victory against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

Nowitzki finished with a season-high 30 in a game that had a playoff feel from the start, even though both teams still have plenty of ground to make up to even qualify for the postseason. They trail eighth-place Houston by several games, but they are the franchises that have the last three NBA titles won by teams from the West.

Bryant and Nowitzki had 16 points apiece in the first half and were still even at 24 after the third quarter before Bryant scored 14 in the fourth, including seven in the last 3 minutes. They were a combined 8 of 9 from 3-point range and hit 24 shots and 12 free throws between them.

“It’s fun,” said Bryant, who also had 12 rebounds and seven assists. “He’s one of my all-time favorites. He’s a throwback type of player. He doesn’t mind the physicality. He made some incredible plays down the stretch.”

Bryant, who went past the 31,000-point mark, was playing in Mark Cuban’s building two days after the outspoken Dallas owner suggested in a radio interview that the Lakers might have to consider dumping the five-time NBA champion through the amnesty clause.

The Lakers responded by calling the comment inappropriate, and Cuban defended himself before the game.

“Amnesty THAT,” Bryant tweeted after the game.

“I’m sure if he wants to amnesty Dirk, that’s something we’ll be willing to entertain,” Bryant told reporters.

The Mavericks were so frustrated trying to guard Bryant, O.J. Mayo got called for a foul and a technical when he jumped around wildly after the whistle blew on a drive to the basket by Bryant. Nash made the technical shot, and Bryant hit his pair of free throws for a 94-90 lead.

“He’s been the best player in my decade,” said Nowitzki, who also had his season high with 13 rebounds after missing the first 27 games following knee surgery. “I’ve in the NBA a long time and he’s the one player I love to watch. It was a big game on the national TV stage. It was a fun one. We just came up a little bit short.”

Nowitzki was called for a technical earlier in the fourth quarter after a similar display when he missed a shot during a physical sequence with Metta World Peace.

“It was very intense,” said Mavericks rookie Jae Crowder, who spent his share of time trying to guard Bryant. “From the crowd standpoint, from the player standpoint, from the officiating. You could tell.”

Three times in the final 3 minutes, Bryant put the Lakers up four after the Mavericks had pulled within two. The last gave Los Angeles a 101-97 lead with 46.9 seconds left.

Nowitzki scored to make it a two-point game, and World Peace missed a free throw to give Dallas a chance to tie. Mayo missed a 3-pointer with about 5 seconds left, and Bryant clinched it with a free throw that made it a two-possession game.

“That’s why he’s Kobe Bryant,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s not John Smith. No disrespect to John Smith, whoever he is. That’s what he does. That’s what he loves. That’s what he trains for.”

Nash had 13 of his 20 points and three of his four 3-pointers in the second half, including one that answered Mayo’s only bucket from long range and put the Lakers up 99-95.

“He came on in the second half and really gave us a big boost,” Bryant said. “He was very aggressive and it forced them to make changes defensively. He’s extremely clutch.”

Dwight Howard had three big free throws in the fourth, including one that put Los Angeles ahead for good at 91-90, and finished with nine points and 13 rebounds.

The Lakers had the biggest lead at six — several times — and the Mavericks erased each one through three quarters. Nowitzki’s 3-pointer from the top of the key late in the third made him 4 of 4 from long range and capped a 7-0 run for a 71-70 Dallas lead, but Bryant scored twice on drives after a timeout to put the Lakers in front again.

In the first half, Nowitzki was 5 of 8 from the floor, made both 3-pointers and all four free throws and led everyone with eight rebounds. Bryant, meanwhile, was 3 of 4 from long range, including a pair from well behind the arc, but just 1 of 6 inside the line. He had a game-high six assists before halftime.

Game notes

Bryant got a technical in the first quarter when he gestured at referee Ken Mauer after Darren Collison stole ball. It was his league-leading 13th technical — one ahead of DeMarcus Cousins of Sacramento. A one-game suspension is in order when a player reaches 16 technicals. … Mavericks C Chris Kaman entered the game in the second quarter after missing 10 straight games with a concussion. … The Mavericks scored at least 30 points in the first quarter for the fifth time in six games.

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Kris Letang, Paul Martin and Matt Cooke also scored, Sidney Crosby had three assists, and Tomas Vokoun made 21 saves against his former team for the Penguins, who have won three straight and four of five to lead the Atlantic Division.

Mike Green, John Carlson and Mike Ribeiro scored for the Capitals — and Carlson’s goal was an accident that took a weird carom off a stanchion along the glass. Two-time league MVP Alex Ovechkin, who said before the game that he was somewhat embarrassed to have only three points on the season, contributed a secondary assist on a third-period power-play goal with Washington trailing by three.

Washington has lost seven of nine games to start the season. Hosting the Penguins as a Super Bowl warm-up for the third straight year, the Capitals no longer look like the formidable team that beat Pittsburgh 5-4 in overtime with a hat trick from Ovechkin in 2010 and shut out the Penguins 3-0 a year ago — both feisty games that included punches thrown by Ovechkin.

Ovechkin was overly physical in this game as well, getting a roughing call in the final two minutes.

Under new coach Adam Oates, the Capitals are feeling their way around the ice, especially on defense. Braden Holtby stopped only 20 of 26 shots, allowing Letang and Kunitz to beat him glove side 37 seconds apart in the second period to give the Penguins a 4-2 lead.

Vokoun, who shut out the New York Rangers on Thursday, made a successful return to the Verizon Center. He was signed to be the Capitals’ No. 1 goalie last season but hurt his groin and was eclipsed by Holtby during the playoffs, prompting Washington to trade him to Pittsburgh.

Martin scored from the point after Crosby won a faceoff in the Capitals’ zone to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead in the first period. Washington tied it less than two minutes later after a nice sequence in which Ribeiro won the puck along the boards and passed it to Wojtek Wolski, who then sent it along to a wide-open Green.

After Cooke made it 2-1, Carlson tied it on a bizarre goal in the second period. The Capitals defenseman was merely trying to dump the puck along the boards, but it rose up and took an odd deflection. Vokoun had already started to retreat behind the net to intercept the puck and tripped trying to change direction to get back to the crease.

Game notes

Ovechkin said before the game that the Capitals were in a “desperate moment.” He noted that he and other NHL players who spent the lockout playing in Russia should be doing better. “Right now I’m standing here, I have only three points, and, you know, it kind of embarrass me.” … The Capitals played the first of three games without D John Erskine, who was suspended for three games for elbowing Wayne Simmonds in Friday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers. … Washington had been 12-1-3 in its previous 16 regular-season meetings vs. Pittsburgh.

The post Chris Kunitz’s hat trick powers Penguins by Capitals appeared first on IdealCapper.

Atlanta At Houston
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, December 31, 2012
Where: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Prediction: Rockets 102, Hawks 97

Oddsmakers currently have the Rockets listed as 3½-point favorites versus the Hawks, while the game’s total is sitting at 206½.

Atlanta is averaging an impressive 107.3 points during its four-game winning streak. A big reason as to why is Lou Williams, who quickly has become acclimated to his new role as a starter. Williams is averaging 17.8 points and 6.5 assists during that stretch. The 26-year-old guard collected his third double-double with 21 points and a career-high 12 assists versus Indiana.

The Hawks were a 109-100 winner in their most recent outing at home against the Pacers. They covered the 2.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (209) made winners of OVER bettors.

Team record: 19-9 SU, 12-15-1 ATS
Current streak: won 4 straight games.

is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 7 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston

When playing on Monday are 4-6
Before playing New Orleans are 8-2
After playing Indiana are 4-6
After a win are 6-4

Houston: James Harden quickly endeared himself to his new team by scoring a career-high 45 points in a 109-102 victory over the Hawks on Nov. 2. Harden has been torching the competition, recording at least 20 points in a career-high 12 consecutive games. Harden scored 25 against his former team in Oklahoma City. Houston has emerged victorious in its last four meetings with Atlanta.

In their last action, Houston was a 124-94 loser at home against the Thunder. They failed to cover the 4.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (218) was profitable news for OVER bettors.

Team record: 16-14 SU, 16-13-1 ATS
Current streak: lost 2 straight games.

is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of last 6 games
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta

When playing on Monday are 7-3
Before playing New Orleans are 3-7
After playing Oklahoma City are 4-6
After a loss are 5-5

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