DALLAS, (Reuters) – The Dallas Mavericks completed a 4-0 second round sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers with a 122-86 rout of the two-time defending champions yesterday.
Dallas tied an NBA playoff record with 20 three-pointers to land the knockout blow on the aging and weary Lakers and send 11-time NBA champion coach Phil Jackson into retirement on a sour note.
Jason Terry drained nine three-pointers of his own and 32 points to send the Mavericks into the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2006.
In that season, Dallas lost in the NBA Finals despite holding a 2-0 series lead, but they suffered no such letdown against Los Angeles yesterday.
“We went to the finals that one year and have since had a couple early exits, but I think this team is as deep as any Mavs team I’ve been on and we’re trying to go for it,” Dallas All Star Dirk Nowitzki told reporters after finishing with 17 points.
“(The Lakers) are the defending champions. It was great to get through this series.”
Kobe Bryant came out hot with 13 points in the first quarter, but finished with just 17 as the Mavs blitzed the visitors 36-16 in the second quarter to take a 24-point halftime lead.
The Lakers had reached the past three NBA Finals but in a season marked by inconsistent efforts they ultimately collapsed in Dallas in what was likely the end of Jackson’s career.
The decorated coach has maintained that this would be his final season.
Having blown a 16-point lead in the series opener along with a late seven-point edge in their Game Three loss on Friday, Los Angeles were humiliated in game four.
The Mavericks bench dominated the action as reserve Jose Juan Barea recorded 22 points and eight assists and Peja Stojakovic added 21.
Los Angeles big men Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum were ejected in the fourth quarter after taking cheap shots on Dallas players once the game was well out of reach.
