LOS ANGELES -- Eighty down, two to go.
The Lakers lost their 59th game of the season Sunday, falling 120-106 to the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center. They have two games remaining this season, both against the Kings -- Monday at Sacramento and then Wednesday back in L.A.
The Lakers must win one of those final two games to avoid finishing with the worst winning percentage in franchise history, a mark currently held by the 1957-58 Minneapolis Lakers, who went 19-53 (.264).
Meanwhile, the playoff-bound Mavericks (48-31) have won a franchise-record seven straight games over the Lakers and swept the season series for the first time.
Turning point: The Lakers played the Mavericks reasonably close in the first half, trailing by just five points at intermission. But in the third quarter, the Mavericks stopped messing around. They built a double-digit lead and kept the Lakers at bay from there, even if the Lakers made a couple runs to keep it somewhat interesting.
Point guard battle: A lot of Lakers fans are keeping close tabs on Mavericks point guard Rajon Rondo, who is a free agent this summer -- and the Lakers are expected to go after him. In a game that felt more like an audition, Rondo finished with 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, 11 assists and 8 rebounds.
On the other end, Lakers rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson had another strong performance with 26 points on 9-of-19 shooting to go along with 6 assists. He also hit back-to-back 3-pointers late in the fourth and was 3-of-6 from deep overall.
Stat of the game: The Mavericks tallied 54 points in the paint; the Lakers tallied 38.
Second stat of the game: The Mavericks cashed in 15 Lakers turnovers for 25 points. The Lakers, meanwhile, turned 12 Mavericks turnovers into only 8 points.
Notes: Lakers swingman Wes Johnson suffered a sprained left ankle in the first half and did not return to the game. He scored 16 points in 20 minutes … Lakers rookie center Tarik Black grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds to go along with 10 points. Black became the first Laker rookie since Leroy Ellis in 1963 to have at least 19 rebounds in a game … Lakers guard Dwight Buycks has a fracture of third metacarpal of right hand and is out for the season ... Center Tyson Chandler led the Mavericks with 20 points.