Dirk having a field day while Rasheed is on the bench.

Here’s the wrap-up for the night games on MLK Day -

Mavs 99, Celtics 90

When you shoot 80 percent from the floor and outscore your opponent 34-18 in the third quarter, it makes winning a game on the road much easier.

Despite the Paul Pierce circus show, where he did everything he could to keep Boston in the game with some acrobatic drives and shots, the Mavs broke out in the second half and held on to win at the TD BankNorth Garden.

Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 37 points, on 14-22 shooting. Shaun Marion added 16, and Jason Kidd had 13 points and 17 assists. The key to the game- and we saw this before in the playoffs last year – was Dirk’s performance when Rasheed Wallace was off the court. This is something Boston must address if KG will be out for an extended period of time. They need to find a way to stop the big man on defense.

Pierce led the Celtics with 24 points. Ray Allen added 21 points, and Kendrick Perkins picked up another double-double on the year (14-12). Rajon Rondo contributed with a team-high 12 assists.

TRBL Stat - I feel like I’m going to mention this every night, but nothing boggles my mind more – Boston shot 8/16 from the free throw line. They are called free throws because they should be free points! PRACTICE!

Spurs 97, Hornets 90

The Spurs caught fire from the start and never looked back, as the Spurs defeated the Hornets on Monday afternoon. Tony Parker(25 points) helped the Spurs snap a 2 game losing streak where they struggled offensively. Tim Duncan also provided needed assistance down low, with 21 points and 14 rebounds in the win. San Antonio led by as much as 21, and New Orleans never was able to mount a lead.

Chris Paul, however, did lead a valiant comeback, only to be usurped via the refs calling a questionable offensive foul with 30 seconds to go. From there, that sealed the fate of the game. Paul led the Hornets with 18 points and 9 assists. David West also added 18, and Marcus Thornton contributed 16 points in a strong outing off the bench.

INCRBL PLAY – This ball may or may not have hit Reggie Bush / Kim Kardashian…Marcus Thornton with the huge SWAT that sent the ball a few rows up. Check it out under NBA.com’s highlights (working on linking the video).

Lakers 98,  Magic 92

In what many considered to be the marquee matchup of the night, as it was the rematch of last year’s NBA finals, the game was a fun one to watch. Just when you thought the game was on the verge of being a blowout, the other team mounted a large run. This happened quite a lot in the second half.

Lakers start the game on a 21-8 run and kept pace as such through the first half. However, the Magic went on a 20-2 run in the third quarter, to take the lead by 7. At one point, it felt like this was heading towards a really nice road win for Orlando. But, as the fourth quarter would prove  – the Lakers went on the attack. Los Angeles went on a 15-0 run of themselves to start the fourth quarter, and the Magic wouldn’t get close again.

All this, and an off night for Kobe Bryant (4-19 FG). In fact, Shannon Brown led he charge tonight for the Lakers, scoring 22 points off the bench in 21 minutes. Pau Gasol chipped in with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Lamar Odom was a force down low, picking up 16 rebounds in a 9 point performance.

Dwight Howard led the charge for the Magic with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Orlando had 4 of their 5 starters in foul trouble (finished with 4+ fouls), which did not help the cause. Vince Carter also had an off night, shooting 3-11 from the field and 3-8 from beyond the arc.

-Duts