Mavs dominate & sweep Lakers; Hawks even series 2-2

Jason Terry tied a playoff record with nine 3-pointers as the Dallas Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference finals with a dominating 122-86 victory that swept the Los Angeles Lakers & ended their run towards a third straight NBA championship.

It also marked the end of the 65-year old Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. A Hall of Famer since 2007, he leaves with a record 11 titles, and only 10 series losses. Take away Red Auerbach, who won nine championships, and Jackson won more titles than any two coaches combined. He won six championships with the Chicago Bulls and five more with Kobe Bryant & the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jackson has retired once before, but he insists that this time, it's for good.




Josh Smith came through for the Hawks, producing 23 points, 16 rebounds, eight assists, two blocks and a steal in Atlanta’s 100-88 win over the Chicago Bulls.

Smith is frequently criticized by Atlanta fans for his inconsistent play, but in Game 4, he came up with a huge game that helped the Hawks even the Eastern Conference semifinals against the top-seeded Bulls at two games apiece. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Chicago.