Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks: MVP Chants Roar Over Scuffles

Name any game more exciting than tonight's matchup between the Lakers and Mavericks.

The two teams were competing for the No. 2 seed in the West and it couldn't have been a more lopsided game, as the Lakers went on to win it 110-82. 

What made this game exciting wasn't the score or the fact that Lamar Odom had yet another double-double receiving a standing ovation, but the playoff-like atmosphere that was present tonight. 

Both teams battled hard—maybe even a little too hard—with a scuffle occurring in the fourth quarter, initially between Steve Blake and Jason Terry after an ill-advised push by Terry, which eventually resulted in a four player ejection involving Blake, Terry, Matt Barnes and Brendan Haywood. 

The game wasn't exactly close, but the Mavericks battled hard as the Lakers just proved to be the better team.

Interestingly enough, this game seemed to represent a lot more than a double-digit win; it actually gave us a peak into what we will be seeing from the Lakers in the playoffs.

Adding onto another great performance, scoring 28 points, alongside four assists and five rebounds, Kobe Bryant proved to be in tip-top shape heading into the last stretch of the season and into the playoffs.

Bryant really looked like an MVP candidate tonight and although he is unlikely to win this year, most fans can guess what type of performance to expect from him in the remainder of the season. 

The Lakers are now three games behind the Spurs with eight games remaining and with tonight's collective performance, hopes have to be high in L.A. 

But alongside a great win for the Lakers, there came havoc, with of course the suspensions and the very rare occasion of a fan being ejected as the swarm of red jackets took the man out within a matter of seconds. 

What does this all mean for the Lakers, though?

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