Mavericks push Lakers to brink of elimination

Dallas — Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points, and Peja Stojakovic scored 11 of his 15 in the fourth quarter, to rally the Dallas Mavericks to a 98-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday, putting the two-time defending champions on the brink of elimination.

Dallas trailed by seven points with 5:05 left and was being dominated near the hoop by a new-look Lakers lineup featuring three big men. Then Nowitzki and Stojakovic hit 3-pointers, jump-starting an 18-6 rally that turned around the game and possibly seals the series.

The Mavericks lead 3-0, and no team in NBA history has ever lost after taking such a lead.

Dallas will go for the sweep at home on Sunday.

Andrew Bynum had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers. Lamar Odom scored 18 and Kobe Bryant added 17, only four in the final quarter.

Bulls 99, Hawks 82

At Atlanta, Derrick Rose looked every bit like the MVP, slicing up Atlanta for a career-high 44 points as Chicago seized control of the Eastern Conference semifinals with its best performance of the postseason.

The Bulls lead the series 2-1, putting Atlanta in must-win position heading into Game 4 Sunday night.

Rose was dominant from the opening tip, driving into the lane for a basket that prompted Atlanta to call a time-out before the game was a minute old. He finished off the Hawks midway through the fourth with back-to-back 3-pointers.

Jeff Teague had 21 points for Atlanta.