Inside Report: No. 3 Mavericks (1-0) at No. 2 Lakers (0-1) — Game 2 preview

Earl K. Sneed previews Wednesday night's Game 2 between the Dallas Mavericks and two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, as the Mavs try to return to Big D with a 2-0 series lead after snatching the first showdown in the Staples Center.

LOS ANGELES — “In life two is better than one in any fashion.”

Mavericks sixth man Jason Terry spoke those words confidently with his team on the cusp of taking a 2-0 lead in its second-round series with the back-to-back champion Los Angeles Lakers. But Terry and his teammates know the challenge of taking both Games 1 and 2 will not be solved with simply speaking with confidence heading into Wednesday night’s contest, knowing that they will again have to take the reigning champs’ best punch if the Mavericks hope to return to Dallas up two games to none with Games 3 and 4 at home.

Admittedly, the Mavericks know that in order to snatch a second victory in L.A. they can’t afford to spot the Lakers a 16-point advantage as was the case in Game 1, when it took a come-from-behind effort led by leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki’s team-high 28 points and 14 rebounds to sneak out of the Staples Center with a 96-94 win.

And after point guard Jason Kidd’s late-game defense suffocated two-time Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, with the former scoring champ exploding for 30 of his game-high 36 points through the first three quarters, the Mavs know that they will see a much more determined Lakers team that will be playing with a sense of desperation in Game 2.

“We can say that we didn’t play our best game, but we found a way to win. That’s the bottom line this time of year,” Kidd explained. “You want to be the first team to four, and we found a way to win Game 1. But again, the Lakers have been in this position a lot of times and they’ve found a way to win the series. So, we haven’t done anything yet.”

The Dallas defense will again be keyed in on Bryant, looking to keep the scoring threat from taking over Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the Mavs will also try to duplicate their defensive efforts on L.A.’s supporting cast, after holding Lakers center Andrew Bynum to just eight points and five rebounds, while fellow big men Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were the only other players for the defending champs to score in double figures with 15 points apiece.

“I think we did a great job on defense on Bynum and Gasol. We’ve gotta do a fair job on Odom,” center Tyson Chandler explained. “We’ve gotta continue to do that throughout the series to have a chance to win.”

And despite being outrebounded, 44-40, and outscored in the painted area, 46-36, the Mavericks say that if they can again lock in on the defensive end and hold the Lakers to less than 43 percent shooting then the Dallas team likes its chances of taking the second showdown in the series as well.

But the Lakers were in this same position in their opening-round series with New Orleans, dropping the first game at home before seizing the home-court edge back with back-to-back wins in Games 2 and 3. The Lakers went on to finish the Hornets off in six games, and for that reason the Mavericks are not merely satisfied with splitting the first two games on the road, looking to return to the American Airlines Center on Friday night with the Lakers staggering on the ropes.

“They just dropped their first game in their last series and won the next one, won the first one on the road and was right back in control of the series,” Nowitzki pointed out. “So, we’d love to not let that happen. Gotta stay focused, obviously, and it was a good win for us, but you know they’re gonna come after us [Wednesday night]. So, we have to be ready.”

“We’ve got to come out and be hungry,” Kidd added. “We’re a veteran ballclub, we all understand that the champs aren’t just gonna let you walk in and win Game 2. We’ve gotta find a way to put pressure on them. And again, hopefully with two minutes left we have a chance to win.”

Note: Game 2 of the Mavericks’ second-round series with the Lakers will tip off Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m. CT, airing nationally on TNT.

Tickets for the first two home games of the Second Round of the 2011 Playoffs will are on sale now. Tickets are priced $19 and up for Round 2. Tickets will be available online at mavs.com, via phone (214-747-6287 or 1-800-4NBA-TIX), the American Airlines Center® North Box Office* and all Ticketmaster outlets (Fiesta Grocery Stores, Simon Mall in Garland and Shops at Willow Bend).

The first-round series between the two teams continues as follows:
Game 2 – Wed May 4 9:30 p.m. CT TNT
Game 3 – Fri May 6 TBD ESPN
Game 4 – Sun May 8 2:30 p.m. CT ABC
Game 5 * Tue May 10 TBD TNT
Game 6 * Thu May 12 TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 15 2:30 p.m. CT ABC

The Mavs will host a FREE watch party for fans Wednesday night when the Mavs take on the Los Angeles Lakers for Game 2 of the second round of the 2011 Playoffs. The party starts an hour prior to tipoff.

Fans can join the Mavs Dancers, ManiAACs, Street Team, Ali Dee and Ro Parrish to watch the game on the HD big-screen TV on the AT&T Plaza. Fans will also have a chance to win 2011 Mavs Playoff tickets and Mavs autographed prizes.

The South Plaza Fan Shop will be open for fans to purchase their 2011 Playoff t-shirts and other Mavs apparel.

Parking will be available in the Platinum Parking garage and is $5. Food and beverages will be available for purchase (no outside food or beverages will be allowed). Fans will also need to bring their own seating.

Pira Restaurant will be open starting at 7:30 p.m. and will have a special watch party menu available for fans.

Special thanks to 106.1 KISS FM, ESPN and ESPN Deportes for their support of the watch parties.