Almost everything is going awry for the Lakers.
They lost a 14-point lead in the second quarter and were tied with the Dallas Mavericks, 48-48, at halftime Wednesday at American Airlines Center.
The Lakers were comfortably ahead until a Dallas surge late in the second quarter.
Pau Gasol has 16 points and Andrew Bynum has nine points as the Lakers have worked their post game to near perfection. Kobe Bryant has only five points on one-for-six shooting.
Vince Carter already has 18 points for Dallas (21-12).
Gasol was everywhere in the first quarter, scoring 12 points and feeding Bynum for two alley-oop dunks as the Lakers took a 25-21 lead into the second quarter.
The Lakers (19-13) hadn't been back to Dallas since the Mavericks eliminated them here in the Western Conference semifinals last season.
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-- Mike Bresnahan
Photo: Dallas guard Vince Carter, left, tries to get past Lakers guard Steve Blake during the first half of Wednesday's game. Credit: Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press
