The Los Angeles Lakers started out strong in Game One against the Dallas Mavericks, but a rally by the Mavericks at the end of the game stole the win away from the Lakers. The Mavs won 96-94 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, which came after the Lakers led by 16 points earlier in the second half.  Bryant was the top scorer for the Lakers and had a surprisingly good game with 36 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block.

According to ESPN, Lakers coach Phil Jackson summed up the feelings of the team about the loss and said, “We felt like we gave the game away. I’m not so sure Dallas didn’t outplay us, but the players felt like we gave it away. … The game was won in the third quarter when we got the lead and stopped playing defense and stopped playing offense. It took a lot of energy out of us and gave a lot of energy to them.”

The Lakers will get to host the Mavericks again on Wednesday, May 4. That game will surely be a must-win for the Lakers in order to get momentum heading into their road games against the Mavs. Get Los Angeles Lakers tickets from StubHub.