Rick Carlisle hails "fantastic" Monta Ellis

Rick Carlisle has described Monta Ellis's performance during the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night as "fantastic".

The guard scored 30 points and had nine assists during the 123-104 victory, which leaves them seventh in the Western Conference.

The coach told reporters: "Monta Ellis was fantastic tonight, all aspects of the game. He defended, he made plays at the rim, he was under control, he hit midrange shots, he hit guys cutting to the basket."

Ellis added: "The lane was wide open, so I just attacked, and when they came over, I passed the ball, and that's what we wanted. Me being aggressive opened everything else up."

The Mavericks face the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight.