The Washington Wizards rallied to edge the Los Angeles Lakers and win their third straight National Basketball Association game Monday.
Gilbert Arenas scored 34 points and led a second-half rally as the host Wizards erased a 16-point deficit. LA star Kobe Bryant netted 31 points in the Lakers' second straight losing effort.
The Dallas Mavericks trounced the Indiana Pacers, 102-80, to tie defending champion San Antonio for the best record in the Western Conference - 21 wins against only seven losses. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 23 points on their home court.
The visiting New Jersey Nets knocked off the rival New York Knicks, 109-101, for their sixth consecutive win. Vince Carter, who had 27 points Monday, has led New Jersey in all six victories.
Cleveland also stretched a winning streak to six games Monday, topping the Chicago Bulls 102-91. LeBron James had 32 points in the Cavaliers' home-court win - their second victory over the Bulls in five days.
Other NBA winners Monday were the Magic, Suns, Jazz, SuperSonics, and Nuggets. The Orlando Magic cruised past the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-93, the Phoenix Suns routed the Minnesota Timberwolves, 103-89, and the Utah Jazz slipped past the Memphis Grizzlies, 105-102. The Seattle SuperSonics beat the Boston Celtics, 118-111, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings, 105-92, and the Golden State Warriors fell to the Denver Nuggets, 118-112.
