The Lakers squandered a 15-point lead, but rallied from six points down to defeat the Dallas Mavericks by a modest 107-100 today at Staples Center. The Lakers swept the three-game series with the Mavericks, showing they are clearly the superior team. They also showed they are capable of falling asleep and making things interesting. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 28 points, Trevor Ariza had a career-best 26 and Pau Gasol had 25. Jason Terry sparked the Mavericks’ rally and led them with 29 points in a reserve role. If the playoffs began today, the first-place Lakers would play the eighth-place Mavericks.