Norman Powell stepped up with an impressive 29-point performance, while James Harden contributed 24 points and Ivica Zubac posted a double-double with 21 points and 15 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a convincing 118-95 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night. This game marked the first time this season that the Mavericks played without their star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Doncic was sidelined due to a left heel contusion, while Irving was out with right shoulder soreness.
The matchup between the Clippers and the Mavericks was the first of a two-game series, with the concluding game set for Saturday night. In a standout performance, first-year Maverick Klay Thompson made his presence known with 22 points, leading the team in scoring for the first time. Spencer Dinwiddie also made an impact with 19 points in his first start of the season.
At halftime, the Clippers held a narrow 50-49 lead over the Mavericks. However, they came out strong in the third quarter, outscoring Dallas 39-28. Los Angeles shot an impressive 69.6% from the field in the quarter, making 16 of 23 attempts, while the Mavericks struggled, shooting just 40% (8 of 20) from the field.
The game saw an intense moment when Clippers guard Kris Dunn was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul committed against Jazian Gortman late in the third period. Despite this incident, the Clippers showcased their depth, leading the Mavericks in bench scoring with a score of 33-16. Harden excelled at the free-throw line, going a perfect 10 for 10. Powell also made a significant impact, scoring 10 points in the second period alone, out of his team-best 12 first-half points. On the other hand, Zubac struggled early on, failing to secure a rebound in the game’s initial 15 minutes.
The Mavericks, on the other hand, faced challenges with their outside shooting, going 7 for 30 on 3-point attempts, resulting in season lows in both makes and percentage (23.3%). Despite missing Doncic and Irving, the team had a record of 5-2 without Doncic and 1-2 without Irving. The absence of their star guards was evident as they scored a season-low and suffered their most lopsided loss of the season against the Clippers.
One of the key moments in the game came when P.J. Washington’s shot brought the Mavericks within five points at 73-68 with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, Zubac’s strong defensive play led to a 12-1 run for the Clippers, during which the Mavericks missed all four field-goal attempts.
Looking ahead, the Clippers and the Mavericks are scheduled to face each other again on Saturday.
