NBA schedule: Lakers hand Mavericks Western Conference setback

Lakers 101, Mavericks 81

Los Angeles led essentially the entire game, using a big second quarter to create some breathing room. The Lakers took a 15-point lead into halftime, and when the Mavs (36-38) cut that to five in the third quarter, Earl Clark hit two big shots to push it back out to double-digits. The lead never got under seven the rest of the way, and the game turned into a blowout in the final few minutes.

Bryant finished with 23 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds for his 19th career triple-double.

Meanwhile Dallas fell 2 1/2 games behind the Lakers and Jazz for the final playoff spot.

Then O’Neal, who is now purple, watched as his retired jersey was revealed.

O’Neal thanked, among others, Jack Nicholson, who is now old and waves like an old person, and “good friend Adam Sandler.” When O’Neal thanked Jackson, a chant of “We want Phil!” broke out in the arena.

Well, he’s back tonight. And on national television, no less. Here’s what he had to say in honor of the Lakers retiring Shaq’s jersey.

I’m not sure what Shaq’s suit is even made of here. Is it tin foil or sheet metal? Either way, it’s a hilarious disaster. The fit is fine and all that, but goodness, putting him in a reflective suit just amplifies all the flaws.

Not that I’m complaining, I mean. This is a great terrible “NBA Player In A Bad Suit” photo. I live for these photos. In fact, I’m going to induct Shaq into my “NBA Player In A Bad Suit” photo Hall of Fame just for this tonight.

Anthony tied his career high with 50 points against Miami, shooting 18-of-26 from the floor to extend the Knicks’ win streak to nine games. Anthony was also 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.

• Jose Calderon triumphant in return to Toronto

• Jose Calderon triumphant in return to Toronto

• Ziller: Re-enter the Maloofs

Big scoring games are rare to come by these days, as our own Tom Ziller has written about.

Not literally, I mean. He doesn’t actually fly there. Still, it’s pretty impressive.

And tonight he got up. Way up. And he threw down the putback tip jam to send everyone into a frenzy. (OK, a mild tizzy of excitement. Still!)

• Jose Calderon triumphant in return to Toronto

Listed as questionable leading into the matchup of Eastern Conference foes, Chandler will give the Knicks a large advantage in the paint. Miami has often struggled this season when dealing with other teams’ big men, but without Chandler, it wouldn’t be the case against the Knicks, whose frontcourt has been decimated by injuries as the season has progressed.

• Jose Calderon triumphant in return to Toronto

A Lakers’ loss would bring Dallas only a half-game from Los Angeles in the standings and the Mavs within 1.5 games of eighth-place Utah.

How Howard plays could allude to his legacy as a Laker.

• Jose Calderon triumphant in return to Toronto

• Ziller: Re-enter the Maloofs

Smith, an explosive but enigmatic scorer, has been one of the front-runners for the Sixth Man of the Year Award all season. At 6’6 220, his ability to create his own shot off the bounce has been a lifesaver for a Knicks offense that tends to stagnate. However, the knock on Smith has long been that for every game he shoots you into, he shoots you out of another one. That’s changed during this win streak, as Smith has made a concerted effort to attack the rim and take fewer contested jumpers. He’s averaging 9.6 free throw attempts in the last five games, a good indication of a player refusing to settle for bad shots. A strong performance on national TV could go a long way towards solidifying his chances at the award.

• What Andrew Bynum really owes Philly

There are three games Tuesday night, and all of them are intriguing in some way: we have a matchup between two teams battling for one playoff spot, two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams squaring off with an eye on the postseason, and, well, okay, Chicago-Washington isn’t the most appealing of the three, but it’s kind of a fascinating game between a resurgent Wizards team and a Bulls team forced to scrap for every win with almost all their star players out.

Let’s take a closer look at all three games - all times are Eastern: