DALLAS — Rajon Rondo scored a season-high 21 points in his fourth game with Dallas and Dirk Nowitzki added 14 to move up another spot on the NBA’s scoring list in the Mavericks’ 102-98 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Rondo, traded from Boston last week, also had eight rebounds and seven assists in Dallas’ franchise-best fifth straight win against the Lakers in the regular season.

Kobe Bryant missed his third straight game for Los Angeles to rest his sore body. He could return Sunday at home against Phoenix.

Carlos Boozer scored 18 points for the Lakers, who lost again on the second night of a back-to-back after beating NBA-leading Golden State in the first game without Bryant.

Nowitzki, who had eight rebounds, and Monta Ellis were questionable before the game, Nowitzki with a stomach ailment and Ellis with an unspecified illness. Ellis had 15 points, seven assists and three steals.

Nowitzki passed Elvin Hayes for eighth on the NBA’s scoring list, and 10th on the combined NBA-ABA list. The 36-year-old hit a long jumper on the first possession of the third quarter to surpass Hayes and asked out less than 4 minutes later after he came up short on a pair of open shots.

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Nowitzki, in his 17th season, finished at 27,322 points, nine ahead of Hayes, who spent most of his 16-year career in Washington before finishing it in Houston in 1984.

The Mavericks, still adjusting offensively since getting Rondo in a trade with Boston last week, weren’t nearly as smooth as they were in a 140-106 rout of the Lakers last month in Dallas. They were 5 of 18 from 3-point range after tying a franchise record with 18 from beyond the arc in the last Los Angeles meeting.

Nick Young, who had 15 points on five 3-pointers, hit a pair from long range about a minute apart to help the Lakers get within five midway through the fourth quarter.

But Dallas’ Charlie Villanueva, enjoying an expanded role since the Rondo trade sent Brandan Wright to the Celtics, hit two big 3s to spark a fourth-quarter run that put away the game. The 10th-year player finished with 13 points.

Tyson Chandler had 15 points and 12 rebounds, his 14th double-double of the season for Dallas.

CAVALIERS 98, MAGIC 89: LeBron James had 29 points and eight assists, and Cleveland rallied to win at Orlando.

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PISTONS 119, PACERS 109: Greg Monroe had 19 points and 15 rebounds, Andre Drummond scored 20 points and host Detroit ended a four-game skid with a victory over Indiana.

BUCKS 107, HAWKS 77: Reserve forward Jared Dudley made all 10 shots, including four 3-pointers, and scored a season-high 24 points to lead Milwaukee at Atlanta.

PELICANS 97, SPURS 90: Anthony Davis had 22 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, leading host New Orleans over slumping San Antonio.

New Orleans scored 20 points off 17 San Antonio turnovers.

THUNDER 98, HORNETS 75: Russell Westbrook scored 29 points to lead Oklahoma City to a victory at home, snapping Charlotte’s season-high four-game win streak.

ROCKETS 117, GRIZZLIES 111: James Harden had 32 points and 10 assists, Josh Smith scored 21 points in his Rockets debut, and Houston won at Memphis in overtime.


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