Rowan Kavner
Score: LAC 108 – DAL 118
DALLAS – The much anticipated return of DeAndre Jordan to Dallas didn’t go the way the Clippers would’ve liked.
It was yet another back-and-forth game for the Clippers down the stretch, but unlike their last game against Memphis, they didn’t leave the victors as the Dirk Nowitzki-led Mavericks finished the night on a 21-9 run in a 118-108 Clippers loss.
Blake Griffin led the Clippers with 21 points and nine rebounds on the night, while Chris Paul had 11 points and 11 assists, surpassing the 7,000 career-assist mark in the process.
The Clippers trailed, 84-70, late in the third quarter with the Mavericks seeming to hit every shot they took, finishing 55.3 percent from the floor. Then came a sizable swing in momentum, as Paul Pierce knocked down a shot, which was followed by a Josh Smith 3-pointer.
Next Game: 11/12
All of a sudden, the double-digit deficit went to single digits.
Deron Williams let the clock go down until four seconds remained to attempt a 3-pointer which was off the mark, and Wesley Johnson added another corner 3-pointer at the buzzer to bring the deficit down to six points after three quarters.
That 8-0 run to close the quarter continued into the fourth, as the run got up to 12-0 before a Wesley Matthews 3-pointer ended it, giving the Mavericks an 87-82 advantage. Matthews, who came into the night with no more than 13 points in a game this season, finished with a season-high 25 points.
The Clippers kept chipping away at the lead, though, and eventually tied the game at 94 with two of Austin Rivers’ 16 points. The Clippers and Mavs continued to trade the lead down the stretch.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Dallas started to once again start intentionally fouling DeAndre Jordan, who dealt with expected boos every time he touched the ball and had to sit late in the third after picking up his fourth foul, but the game stayed close through three straight Hack-A-DJ plays. Eventually, Jordan went back to the bench and returned with a minute left, finishing with nine points and 11 rebounds.
After Paul’s heaved 3-point attempt with the shot clock winding down went through to give the the Clippers a 106-104 lead, the Mavs went on their run. Nowitzki tied the game at 106 and later hit a 3-pointer and two free throws to put Dallas ahead by seven, while the Clippers made just two points in the final three minutes.
