DALLAS - In one of their most electrifying games this season, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 138-131 in an overtime thriller Saturday night at the American Airlines Arena to snap their four game skid and improve to 35-36 on the season.
For a Clippers squad that was in dire need of a victory and was quickly slipping toward the 10th seed in the Western Conference, this win gave them the momentum they needed as four of their next five matchups are against teams with a sub .500 record.
The initial stages in this one looked far too familiar a site for the Clippers, as they were outmatched on defense. For a Mavericks squad that was just 4-21 since January 24th, they didn’t play like a squad that was seemingly in a rebuild year.
After putting up a then career-high 35 points the last time these two met on Nov. 29,
Rookie of the Year candidate Cooper Flagg carried that over into this game early on, leading the charge offensively in the first half as he put up 15 points and dished out three assists to set up his teammates.
Despite a poor shooting performance in the second half and finishing with 18 points, Flagg is still on track to becoming just the eighth rookie in NBA history to average 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, joining an exclusive list of Hall of Famers like Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Mavericks had an answer for everything the Clippers threw their way in the first half, as they went on a heater from beyond the arc. They made 10 triples by the break, four of which came from Klay Thompson in just six minutes of action.
For a Mavericks squad that was just 27th in the league in three-point percentage and 28th in three-point attempts, the Clippers needed to step up in a big way down 72-63 and allowing 70+ points in a half for the third time since February.
Fortunately, Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland returned to action in this one after both were out in Thursday’s game against the Pelicans as they were monitoring respective ankle and toe related injuries.
In the new-look starting five along with Derrick Jones Jr., John Collins, and Brook Lopez, they looked to emulate their previous success before the losing streak and even match performances from their pre-trade deadline squad that went 15-3 from late December through late January and had the third best offensive rating in the league during that stretch.
Yet it was the that one-two punch of Leonard and Garland that ultimately led the way. As a squad the Clippers began the second half on an absurd 24-5 run within six minutes. Leonard made three triples during that stretch to help increase the lead to as many as 10.
The one thing that kept the Mavericks in the game however, was their ability to crash the class against a Clippers team that ranks 29th in the league with 40.6 rebounds per game. They handedly won that battle 47-40 and had 17 offensive rebounds to set up second chance opportunities.
Despite the lapse on the boards, the Clippers turned to Garland, who already matched his season-high of 18 points in the first half. In the second half he continued tormenting the Mavericks defense, scoring at will and dishing the ball out in clutch moments.
With four made triples and six assists in the second half, he added on to his best single-game performance this season. He finished the night with 41 points on 62.5% shooting from the floor while also nailing eight triples, all of which were season highs in what’s been an injury-riddled year for him.
His 11 assists also helped put him on a rare list in Clippers history. He became just the fourth Clipper ever to record 40+ pts and 10+ assists in a game, joining Chris Paul, Lou Williams, and James Harden.
His only crucial mistake was a late turnover that led to a Mavericks bucket in transition to put them up 122-120 within the last 30 seconds. Yet, a driving layup from Leonard tied it and eventually forced overtime.
From there, the Clippers handled business, going on an 11-0 in just 91 seconds during the overtime period.
Jones Jr. became a focal point here as well, nailing two triples to help pad the lead. He finished the night with 15 points as he continues to improve offensively and pair that with his stellar defense.
Leonard added the dagger triple and another bucket to finish his night with 34 points. As a squad, the Clippers flipped the script on the Mavericks from deep, nailing a season-high 21 triples.
The Clippers are now 3-0 in overtime this season, the second one against the Mavericks after their double overtime 133-127 victory back on Nov. 14. The Mavericks have now suffered their 11th straight home loss, their longest home losing streak in 32 years.
With the victory, the Clippers are now even with the Portland Trail Blazers in eight place. With two matchups in store between these two over the next 11 games, the Clippers just need one victory to hold the tie-breaker over them.
The Clippers ended their three game road trip on a high note, and travel back to the Intuit Dome to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday at 7:30 p.m.