Lakers fade in 110-97 loss to Dallas Mavericks

The Lakers fell on the road to the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night, 110-97.

Defense was once again an issue as the Lakers let the Mavericks shoot 53.3% from the field.

Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 27 points on 12-of-19 shooting. When the Lakers tried to challenge late, Monta Ellis kept the Mavericks ahead.

Ellis finished with 16 points and Vince Carter gave Dallas 19 off the bench.

The Lakers were led by Jodie Meeks with 24 points. He also contributed six assists, four rebounds and four steals.

Pau Gasol finished with a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, but struggled in the second half while shooting 5 for 14 for the game.

Wesley Johnson chipped in 17. Kendall Marshall scored 18 with six assists, but turned the ball over six times.

Turnovers, in general, were a problem for the Lakers, who had 20 on the night. The team shot 42.0% from the field while missing eight free throws (18-26).

Shawn Marion didn’t play in the second half after suffering a right shoulder contusion in the second quarter.

The Lakers (14-21) lose their eighth game in nine tries. They’ll travel to Houston (22-13) to play the Rockets on Wednesday.

The Mavericks (20-15) visit the San Antonio Spurs (27-8), also on Wednesday.

Mavericks 85, Lakers 77 (end of third quarter)

The Lakers continued to struggle defensively in the third quarter, letting the Mavericks shoot 52.9% through 36 minutes.

Dirk Nowitzki scored what seemed to be an easy 23 points, on 10-for-15 shooting. Vince Carter added 19.

The Lakers shot a steady 48.2% from the field, but turned the ball over 14 times while missing eight free throw attempts (15-23).

Wesley Johnson and Jodie Meeks led the Lakers with 15 points each. Johnson shot 6 for 8 from the field. Pau Gasol contributed 13 and eight rebounds.

Nick Young struggled, scoring just two points on 1-for-7 shooting off the bench.

Shawn Marion didn’t play in the third after suffering a right shoulder contusion in the second quarter.

Mavericks 60, Lakers 53 (halftime)

The Lakers missed five free throws and turned the ball over nine times to fall behind by seven at the half against the Mavericks.

Vince Carter was the game’s leading scorer, giving the Mavericks 14 points off the bench. Dirk Nowitzki scored 13 as Dallas shot 52% from the field.

The Lakers shot 47.5% from the field, led by Jodie Meeks with 13 points and three steals. Pau Gasol scored 21 while Jordan Hill put in nine off the bench (while missing three free throws).

Kendall Marshall scored three points with four assists, but was responsible for three turnovers.

Mavericks 33, Lakers 31 (end of first quarter)

Neither the Lakers nor the Mavericks played much defense in the first quarter on Tuesday night. Dallas got to the basket with relative ease. The Lakers made five free throws in seven tries.

When the dust settled, the Mavericks were up by a basket after a late three-pointer from Vince Carter.

Pau Gasol led all scorers with 10 points. Jodie Meeks contributed eight as the Lakers shot 50% from the field.

DaJuan Blair and Shawn Marion scored eight each. Dallas shot 60% from the field but high-scoring guard Monta Ellis didn’t hit a shot on three attempts.

Pregame

The Lakers (14-20) visit the Dallas Mavericks (19-15) on Tuesday night.

Slumping at home against teams like the Milwaukee Bucks (7-26) and Denver Nuggets (16-17), the Lakers look to change their fortune on the road, against a team that is 11-6 at home.

Once again, Kobe Bryant (knee), Steve Nash (back), Steve Blake (elbow), Jordan Farmar (hamstring) and Xavier Henry (knee) will sit out for the Lakers. After waiving Shawne Williams earlier in the day, the Lakers have only nine available players.

For a more in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks.

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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.