Clippers win battle with Mavericks

LOS ANGELES — An day tip-off betwixt the Kawhi-less Clippers vs the Luka-less Mavericks proved suspenseful enough, with the Clippers winning 97-91 connected Sunday.

First-round playoff foes each of the past 2 postseasons, the Clippers and Dallas (9-7) met for the archetypal clip this season.

The Clippers (10-7) got backmost connected way aft coming successful having mislaid 3 of 4 games (including coughing up a 20-point pb to Pelicans squad that had antecedently won conscionable 2 games) pursuing a seven-game winning streak.

Paul George, The Clippers progressive star, finished with a game-high 29 points — a tally that included six of the Clippers’ last 10 points arsenic they secured the triumph earlier a assemblage of 17,149 successful the archetypal of 2 games against Dallas, the commencement of a six-game homestand astatine Staples Center.

Ivica Zubac recorded his 5th treble double, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Reggie Jackson had 15 of his 23 points successful the 2nd fractional — the eighth clip this play he’s scored 20 oregon more, a motion of bully things for L.A., which hasn’t mislaid immoderate of those games.

And, too the crippled plan, Coach Tyronn Lue came done with a clutch situation — asking for a reappraisal that turned a antiaircraft foul connected Terance Mann into a complaint connected Jalen Brunson. That took 2 points distant from Dallas and gave the Clippers backmost possession, starring to a flashy layup by Jackson that pushed the Clippers’ pb to 96-89 with 29 ticks remaining.

Dallas superstar Luka Doncic missed his 3rd consecutive crippled (all losses) with near genu and ankle sprains, but the Mavericks did regain the services of Maxi Kleber, who missed the erstwhile 9 games with an oblique strain.

The Clippers remained astatine importantly little than afloat spot arsenic well, playing again without Kawhi leonard (ACL) and Marcus Morris Sr. (knee), arsenic good arsenic rookie Jason Preston (foot). Starting guardant Nicolas Batum besides missed Sunday’s game successful accordance with COVID-19 wellness and information protocols, the squad announced soon earlier tipoff.

And Serge Ibaka came backmost again. After playing 2 games (in which helium was scoreless done 14 minutes) and past volunteering to walk 4 games with the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario to get successful rhythm.

Early grounds suggests it worked: Ibaka scored 4 points successful his archetypal infinitesimal of enactment and finished with six points and 4 rebounds successful 13 minutes.

In the 2nd quarter, George hammered a snarling dunk connected Dwight Powell to springiness the assemblage a jolt, and Jackson warmed up with consecutive 3-pointers — including 1 “from the parking lot,” arsenic described by arena’s nationalist code announcer Eric Smith. Just arsenic key: Zubac remained the aggressor arsenic the Clippers erased astir of a nine-point shortage and trailed 47-46 astatine halftime.

In the 3rd quarter, the Clippers took the instrumentality acknowledgment to George’s tough-shot making — en way to 12 points successful the play — and a mates much 3-pointers from Jackson.

The Clippers had to relationship for the Boban Marjanovic factor; the Serbian antheral enactment up six points successful 3 minutes to assistance the Mavs wound into the Clippers’ lead, leaving the level with Dallas down lone 78-70.

The Mavericks closed the spread to 78-75 and past 88-85 arsenic Porzingis and George traded shots and the Clippers pb ebbed betwixt 5 and 3 points.

Kristaps Porzingis led the Mavericks with 25 points connected 10-for-18 shooting.

More to travel connected this story.

PG THROWIN' IT DOWN!

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— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) November 21, 2021