The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers played the second of back-to-back games on Saturday. The Mavericks hoped for the return of a few key players ahead of Saturday’s game — and help arrived. But the Mavericks suffered a second straight blowout loss to the Clippers, 135-104, at the Intuit Dome. Dallas fell to 38-41, while Los Angeles improved to 46-32.
Anthony Davis led the Mavericks with 27 points and 9 rebounds. Kai Jones followed up with 18 points and 7 rebounds. Klay Thompson added 14 points and 1 rebound. PJ Washington Jr. had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. Naji Marshall scored 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. Spencer Dinwiddie recorded 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists. Caleb Martin tallied 7 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Max Christie posted 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Dallas Mavericks-Los Angeles Clippers Recap
The Dallas Mavericks ruled out Daniel Gafford with right knee sprain injury management, Dante Exum with a left hand fracture, Jaden Hardy with a right ankle sprain, Kyrie Irving with left knee surgery, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper with right wrist surgery. The Los Angeles Clippers ruled out Amir Coffey with left knee inflammation and Seth Lundy with a left ankle sprain.
The Mavericks’ starting lineup featured Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington Jr., Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively II. The Clippers’ starting lineup featured James Harden, Kris Dunn, Norman Powell, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac.
Both teams wasted no time getting on the board in the first quarter. The Clippers then went on a 6-0 run before taking an 11-8 lead, thanks to a three-pointer from Harden. Harden went on to score 19 points in 19 minutes, along with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Zubac surpassed Bob McAdoo for sole possession of fifth place on the Clippers’ all-time rebounds list. The Clippers led 33-21 after the first quarter.
The Mavericks picked up the pace in the second quarter, thanks to two three-pointers from Thompson. Caleb Martin brought the Mavericks within nine, with a tough bucket past the Clippers’ defenders. However, Dallas’ attempts to keep the game close weren’t nearly enough, as Leonard’s handles stole the show. The Clippers took a 61-52 lead into halftime. Anthony Davis had 16 first-half points.
The Clippers’ fast start served as a talking point in the third quarter. The Clippers built a 20-point lead, 95-75, with 1:56 left in the third quarter. Leonard rocked the rim with a slam. The Clippers took a commanding 105-82 lead after three quarters.
The fourth quarter saw yet another fast start from the Clippers. Derrick Jones Jr. shined with a reverse dunk. The Mavericks’ defense, which was anchored by Davis, was stifled by the Clippers. The Clippers won 135-104 in regulation.
Mavericks-Clippers Highlights
The Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers game featured multiple highlights, such as Tim MacMahon’s revelation of the moment the Mavericks gave up on Luka Doncic. MacMahon said on the “Locked On Mavericks” podcast, “If you want to pinpoint a precise time when it was no longer the top organizational priority, you’d have to go back to when Mark Cuban sold the majority control of the team.”
MacMahon said, “I know Cuban has had some online back and forth and made some comments recently, basically implying that a gentleman’s agreement wasn’t held up by Patrick Dumont. So maybe Cuban really thought he was going to get his billions and keep his toy … As soon as the deal was done, Cuban no longer had control.” MacMahon added the Mavericks had “very real concerns” about Doncic’s long-term durability.
For the Mavericks, Davis’ revelation regarding his injury, a left adductor strain, was quite shocking. Andscape asked Davis about his decision to rush himself back to playing instead of giving himself more time to heal. He admitted that he would’ve been more patient in hindsight and he’d probably take a couple more days if he could do it over again.
The Clippers’ franchise-changing move might take place shortly. TWSN Sports’ recent pondering of the Clippers trading for LaMelo Ball in a blockbuster trade with the Charlotte Hornets could increase the Clippers’ chances of staying competitive while facing an aging core. Ball is one of the NBA’s best young guards.
Final Thoughts
The Dallas Mavericks were without Davis and suffered a blowout at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-91, at the Intuit Dome on Friday. The Mavericks have a chance of remaining in the top 10 of the Western Conference due to the Phoenix Suns’ apparent free-fall. However, Dallas may not get a home game to start the Play-In Tournament as the Sacramento Kings own the tiebreaker.
The Mavericks were reminded that Leonard was still dangerous. Leonard may never be the same player he was when he was a two-time NBA Finals MVP with the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors, but he finished Friday’s game with 20 points and has been averaging 20.8 points in 33 games played this season.
The Mavs Foundation boosted community health in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. World Health Day is approaching on April 7, so the importance of accessible, high-quality healthcare is taking center stage. The Mavs Foundation awarded two $50,000 grants to a pair of non-profit organizations dedicated to improving lives through holistic healthcare services: Agape Clinic and Jubilee Park & Community Center.
The Mavericks said “thank you” to their season-ticket members, also known as Club Maverick Members (CMMs), by providing Play-In Tournament tickets for all accounts. CMMs will receive tickets for home games at the American Airlines Center if the Mavericks remain ninth in the Western Conference. The Mavericks’ gesture would ensure the team’s most dedicated fans will help create an electric atmosphere during the postseason.
The Dallas Mavericks welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Central. The matchup will be emotional, as Luka Doncic will return to Dallas for the first time since the February trade to Los Angeles. Doncic is helping the Lakers to an NBA playoff run while the Mavericks learn toward the NBA Draft lottery.
