Mavericks vs. Lakers final score: Dallas dispatches short-handed Los Angeles 120-106

The Mavericks are locked into the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers are locked into a probable top-5 lottery pick this summer. Dallas rested two players. Los Angeles had 10 guys dressed. The season premiere of what is perhaps the most popular TV show in the country was tonight. This was the most meaningless game in the history of everything (don't face check me).

But I watched it. What happened? Well the Mavs pretty much treated it as a scrimmage. The starters that did play got their work in, overwhelmed the significantly less-talented Lakers and the end of the bench guys got some good burn.

There were actually some cool things tonight. Richard Jefferson got a couple dunks in the first half and Dirk made his first three shots in the first half. Spoiler alert, but you're gonna be reading about how good Dirk has been in April sometime Monday morning. But it was nice to see Dirk drain a transition three and score off a post-up in the first quarter. Rajon Rondo also threw Dirk a behind the back post entry pass. That was neat.

In the second quarter the Mavericks kept cruising. DIRK DUNKED.

I felt really bad for the Lakers tonight. At one point they had a lineup that had four players who spent time in the D-League this season...and Robert Sacre. I mean, it's bad enough you have probably the worst coach in the NBA right now (or the tankiest) but then the injuries, the D-League call ups...wait, I'm not feeling bad for the Lakers. Sorry.

Rick Carlisle carefully managed the minutes in the second half as the starters actually reentered the game in the fourth quarter but no starter played big minutes. Again, this was just to make sure the starters got their work so they could keep sharp as the playoffs loom.

The poor Lakers also forgot that Tyson Chandler is allowed to catch basketballs and throw them violently threw hoops. Chandler had 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting and at least 4 or 5 of his dunks came without a Laker within two feet of him.

What else? Rondo knocked down some shots! Charlie Villanueva had a hilarious no-look dime to Al-Farouq Aminu for a dunk and for the rest of the game whenever Charlie V was on the break he kept trying to do it again. THAT'S HOW YOU EARN THAT 17 PER BABY. He also drilled three 3-pointers.

Last, but certainly not least, RAYMOND FELTON. On Friday, he broke the soul of the Denver Nuggets. For his encore he got 16 minutes and scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He looked good! I mean about as good as a veteran NBA starter can look against D-Leaguers. Watching the Raymond Felton show will easily make the finaly handful of Mavs games much easier to watch.

HOWEVER THERE WASN'T ENOUGH DWIGHT POWELL WHY WASN'T THERE MORE DWIGHT POWELL I DEMAND MORE DWIGHT POWELL BEFORE THIS SEASON ENDS.