Los Angeles  - Mark Cuban may legally own the Dallas Mavericks, but the Lakers own them in Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant tossed in 28 points, Trevor Ariza had a career-high 26, and the Lakers regrouped after blowing a big lead to continue their home court mastery over the Mavericks with a 107-100 victory on Sunday.

"We match up well with them," said Bryant after the Lakers closed on an 18-5 run and improved to an astonishing 33-3 home mark over the Mavericks since 1991.

If the play-offs began today, the top-seeded Lakers and eighth- seeded Mavericks (40-27) would meet in the first round.

Los Angeles  - In the end, Ron Artest made the big plays at both ends, to rescue the Houston Rockets.

Artest hit the go-ahead jumper in the closing seconds, and then blocked Vladimir Radmanovic's potential game-tying three-pointer with 4.9 ticks left, helping the visiting Rockets escape the Charlotte Bobcats, 91-86 on Friday night.

"We're very fortunate to get that win," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. "We had it in control and we made three straight mistakes. They had a chance to win it."

Los Angeles  - One night after carrying the Los Angeles Lakers to the finish line, Kobe Bryant saved them from a late collapse.

The reigning NBA Most Valuable Player scored 23 points, including the game-sealing three-pointer with 1:46 left, as the Lakers held off the San Antonio Spurs 102-95 on Thursday night in a showdown between Western Conference leaders.

With the victory, the league-best Lakers (52-13) won the Pacific Division title for the 20th time in franchise history, and became the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff spot.

Los Angeles  - The Atlanta Hawks - the NBA's latest streak busters - struck again.

Joe Johnson scored 31 points with nine assists, Josh Smith had 22 points with 12 rebounds and the Hawks snapped the season-high 12-game winning streak of the Utah Jazz Wednesday night with a 100-93 home-court victory.

"This shows everybody in the world the Hawks are for real," Smith said. "They have to take the Hawks seriously. Utah is an outstanding team, and we were able to beat them."

Atlanta ended Cleveland's 11-game run on December 13, stopped Detroit's modest four-game string Saturday and severed New Orleans' seven-game success two days ago before halting Utah's fourth-longest streak in franchise history.

Los Angeles - Take notice Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, fellow superstar Dwyane Wade is making his point as a top contender for league Most Valuable Player.

Wade had 48 points, 12 assists and stole the ball from John Salmons for a running three-pointer as time expired in the second overtime, lifting the Miami Heat to a dramatic 130-127 home-court victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

"If Mr Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr, if he's not legitimately considered for an MVP candidate, I don't know what he needs to do," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the emotional win.

Los Angeles  - NBA hall of famer Charles Barkley was a free man Monday, after serving 36 hours in jail at for a drunken driving conviction, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Arizona said.

Barkley was not required to wear a jail uniform upon entering the facility Saturday morning. He was given a private tent but no other special treatment, Sheriff Joe Arpaio told the Arizona Republic. The county houses some jail inmates, who are serving sentences of no more than 12 months, in what the sheriff calls Tent City.