LOS ANGELES – Andrew Bynum had 23 points and 16 rebounds, Pau Gasol made back-to-back 3-pointers in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers won their fourth straight game without Kobe Bryant, 112-108 over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
Ramon Sessions scored 22 points, and Gasol had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who are 4-1 while the NBA's leading scorer rests his bruised shin.
Metta World Peace had 18 points as Los Angeles rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit before finishing off a four-game season sweep of the defending champion Mavericks, who swept the Lakers out of last season's playoffs.
Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points on 9-of-28 shooting and 14 rebounds, but Jason Terry missed a potential tying layup at the rim with 5 seconds left in overtime for the Mavericks, whose three-game winning streak ended. Delonte West scored 20 points, and Terry had 21 before missing a shot while trying to avoid Matt Barnes' defense.
Gasol added two free throws with 0.5 seconds left in the Lakers' fifth straight regular-season win over Dallas.
The Lakers boosted their lead over the Clippers atop the Pacific Division to 1½ games with six to play. The Lakers also have the tiebreaker edge on their next-door rivals.
Dallas nursed a lead down the fourth-quarter stretch before the Lakers made a 14-6 run, taking the lead on Sessions' 3-pointer with 3:24 left. After Dallas tied it at 98 on Terry's jumper with 55 seconds left, Sessions missed an awkward shot with 1.5 seconds to play, and Nowitzki clanged a 3-point attempt off the back rim at the buzzer.
Gasol had hit just five 3-pointers all season, but he gave the lead back to the Lakers on consecutive corner 3's, with Nowitzki's third 3-pointer sandwiched between them. World Peace put the Lakers up 110-106 with a fadeaway jumper with 1:04 to play.
Bynum has been fighting a respiratory infection, and he got off to an 0-for-5 start that matched the Lakers' early effort. Los Angeles missed 10 of its first 12 shots while the Mavericks jumped to an early 10-point lead propelled by West, who scored 16 points in the first half.
In the second half, Bynum returned to the dominant form he showed while getting 30 rebounds and scoring 30 points in consecutive games, a feat last accomplished by Moses Malone in 1982.
During a midgame interview with ABC, Bryant said his shin feels much better, and he intends to return to the Lakers well before the playoffs. Bryant is walking without discomfort, but the 28.1-points-per-game All-Star hasn't played since April 6.
After getting treatment during tipoff, Bryant sat on the Lakers' bench again, shouting instructions and cheering his teammates. Bryant has missed just 100 games in his 16-season NBA career, including the past five.
If Bryant plans to return soon, Los Angeles has just five games remaining, including Tuesday's visit from San Antonio, before the postseason.
NOTES: Lamar Odom is still listed on the Mavericks' roster, but the longtime Lakers forward won't play again this season for Dallas, which acquired him early in training camp after the Lakers' aborted trade for Chris Paul hurt Odom's feelings. ... Dallas' Jason Kidd went 3 for 4 on 3-pointers after going 0 for 8 in Dallas' previous visit to Staples Center this season. ... Mike Brown was back on the Lakers' bench after missing Friday's victory for undisclosed personal reasons.
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