LOS ANGELES -- The growth spurt of the youthful Los Angeles Lakers has sprung faster than expected.I came into this job with an open mind, Lakers first-year coach Luke Walton said Sunday, according to the Los Angeles Times, after his club recorded a 119-108 victory over the Phoenix Suns. They havent shown me anything to say that theyre immature other than the age of a lot of them. Theyve come to work every single day since weve been here, even before training camp. Their actions speak loud. Theyre grown men that are in this to get better and to be as good as they can.The Lakers will go for their fourth consecutive win when the Dallas Mavericks visit Staples Center on Tuesday.By beating the Suns, the Lakers (4-3) captured their third straight win for the first time since the 2012-13 season. They also are above the .500 mark after seven games since the Lakers started the 2011-12 campaign with an identical record.The win over the Suns followed a stunning 20-point rout of the Golden State Warriors on Friday and a surprising road decision over the Atlanta Hawks last Wednesday.Against Phoenix, the Lakers got valuable contributions from several players, with six scoring in double figures, but none were more notable than Nick Young, who finished with 22 points and seven rebounds. Young spent much of last season on the bench, being a frequent target of the hard-line ways of former Lakers coach Byron Scott.Los Angeles is 3-0 at home.We won 17 games last year, said forward Larry Nance Jr., according to the Times. Nance wont play against the Mavericks after suffering a concussion in the first half against the Suns. What are we, 4-3? Thats not enough success to get to anybodys head at this point. Were all still hungry and humble and really excited to keep going.The Mavericks, who won their first game of the season Sunday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, are hoping to extend their 10-game winning streak over the Lakers, taking the last five at Staples. However, they will have to do so without Dirk Nowitzki, who wont play because of a sore Achilles. The 38-year-old Nowitzki hasnt been available since missing the second half of a 105-95 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.Dallas also might be without point guard Deron Williams (strained left calf), who is listed as doubtful for the Lakers game.Despite the pairs absences against the Bucks, the Mavericks (1-5) snapped a five-game skid behind a career-best 34 points from Harrison Barnes in an 86-75 overtime win.This was just a case of outlasting an opponent, said Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, according to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. On defense, we were great. You look at the whole game and we had a plan -- we got down early -- but we stuck with it.We made these guys beat us in the half-court game and these games can be ugly. But in our situation right now, its what we have to do to win games. Custom UCLA Bruins Jerseys . The winner Saturday will remain in the elite 10-team field next year. "We talked about wanting to be disciplined and stick with our game plan and good things will come," Draisaitl said, who had two goals for the victors. Wholesale Custom College Jerseys . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.customjerseyscollege.com/ .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Custom College Jerseys Free Shipping . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. Custom College Jerseys Store . PETERSBURG, Fla.Sky Sports commentator Richard Kaufman looks back at the weeks European Tour and PGA Tour action, where it was the putting from golfs old guard which left him most impressed. Last week after the Maybank Championship Malaysia, my attention was focused on a couple of youngsters who took the eye. This week, its the golden oldies!Peter Senior teed it up for the first time this season at the Perth International. Struck by a virus, he was unable to play any of the early events on the Champions Tour and so he arrived at Lake Karrinyup in Western Australia about to try something in competition he hadnt used in 29 years - a short putter! Peter Senior once again rolled back the years on the European Tour After three decades of sticking that broomhandle putter up against his chin, a style that brought him reward even as late as November 2015 when he remarkably won the Australian Masters, he was heading into the unknown.As Adam Scott managed to show in Florida at the weekend, what was all the fuss about? So well did Peter Senior putt he actually said after his third round, when he came home in a six-under-par 30, he wondered why he never changed to the short putter earlier!Senior finished inside the top-10 and was fifth in the putts per round statistics, taking on average 28.5 putts on tricky, sloping, fast greens. Viijay Singh posted his best PGA Tour finish since 2013 at PGA National It was interesting to note while Adam Scott took the spoils in Florida, another of the over 50s brigade who also liked to anchor, Vijay Singh, also managed to finish in the top-10.ddddddddddddIt makes you wonder if the anchoring ban might have done one or two players a favour.Its fair to say if there has been any weakness in the Louis Oosthuizen armoury, its been with the putter, especially over those four to five footers. Louis Oosthuizen claimed a one-shot win ahead of Alexander Levy in Perth Adopting the claw grip, he looked rock solid all week. Hes such a joy to watch when hes swinging the club, I find it remarkable that a player of that talent hadnt won outside of South Africa until Sunday since 2012! Now that his putting looks solid, dont be surprised if he wins for the first time this season on the PGA Tour.Oosthuizen is off to Doral this week for the first of the WGC events. Itll be a week of watching Sky Sports for me, before returning with two more co-sanctioned events in Thailand and India.Watch the WGC-Cadillac Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Live featured group coverage gets underway on Thursday from 4pm. Also See: Oosthuizen claims Perth win Anchored putting champions Impact of putting switch Golf live on Sky Sports 4 ' ' '