Mavericks-Clippers Preview

By MATT BECKER
Posted Jan 18 2012 1:33AM

The Los Angeles Clippers aren't catching many breaks.

Coming off their worst shooting effort of the season, the Clippers, who could again be without Chris Paul, now face the difficult task of completing a back-to-back-to-back stretch Wednesday night against a defensively-sound Dallas Mavericks team that has been waiting for them in Los Angeles.

The Clippers (7-4) didn't seem to miss Paul (left hamstring) in Monday's 101-91 win over New Jersey, but his absence was clearly noticeable in Tuesday's 108-79 loss in Utah. Los Angeles came out flat, falling behind 13-2, and finishing with season lows in scoring and shooting (36.5 percent). Blake Griffin finished with a season-worst 10 points - 11.9 less than his team-leading average.

"I didn't like our approach," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "I didn't like our focus. I didn't like our toughness. I didn't like our energy to start the game."

If there was one positive, the score was so lopsided Del Negro got to rest his starters in the fourth quarter in anticipation for their third game in as many days.

"There's no excuse," he said. "We got to bounce back (Wednesday) and play much harder."

That seems like a tall order against a Dallas team that has been clamping down on the defensive end.

The Mavericks (8-6) have been in Los Angeles since losing to the Lakers 73-70 on Monday, snapping a five-game winning streak. Jason Terry's basket tied the score at 70 with 10 seconds remaining, but the Lakers responded with Derek Fisher's 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds to play.

Dallas' defense couldn't be blamed for the loss, as it limited the Lakers to 38.2 percent shooting. The Mavericks are allowing an average of 76.8 points on 37.8 percent shooting in their last six games.

The offense couldn't get going, however, shooting a season-worst 35.0 percent and 15.4 percent from beyond the arc (4 of 26).

"I thought we were competing at both ends, but sometimes you've got to make shots in this league, and we just couldn't do it," said Jason Kidd, who missed 8 of 9 shots. "It was one of those NFC kind of games - just hand off the ball and run. It was just an ugly game."

Dirk Nowitzki finished with 21 points, and the only other Maverick to reach double figures was Lamar Odom. He scored 10 - his second-best output of the season in what has been a disappointing start with Dallas.

Odom was playing in his first game against his former team after being traded from the Lakers to the Mavericks on Dec. 11. Odom demanded a trade after learning the Lakers wanted to include him in a trade to New Orleans for Paul. The NBA nixed the deal, and the Lakers shipped him to Dallas the next day.

A few days later on Dec. 14, Paul was traded to the cross-town Clippers.

Paul's addition to the Clippers has the franchise poised to end years of frustration.

The Mavericks have been giving Los Angeles fits for the last decade having won 39 of the last 48 meetings. Dallas has won 10 straight over the Clippers since a 103-92 loss on Nov. 9, 2008.

Paul, averaging 18.0 points and 8.4 assists, isn't the only newcomer for the Clippers this season, as Chauncey Billups and former Maverick Caron Butler signed as free agents in December.

Butler has started all 11 games and is tied with Billups for third on the team in scoring, averaging 16.0 points.

Billups' 3 with second left lifts Clips over Mavs

Posted Jan 19 2012 3:18AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) The Dallas Mavericks left town feeling snake-bit - and then some - after a couple frustrating of losses that ended with opponents making clutch 3-pointers in the final moments.

Chauncey Billups provided the latest with a second left on the clock, giving the Los Angeles Clippers a stunning 91-89 victory Wednesday night.

"I was so open, I was able to take my time and shoot the shot," Billups said. "They got a contest on it late, but by that time it was gone. I got a great look at it and it felt good for it to go down."

Mo Williams made his first seven shots and finished with 26 points off the bench in his return to the lineup from a sore right foot. DeAndre Jordan had 19 points and nine rebounds for the undermanned Clippers, playing their third game in three days after a 101-91 win over New Jersey on Monday afternoon and a 108-79 loss at Utah Tuesday night.

Clippers point guard Chris Paul missed his third straight game because of a left hamstring strain, and Brian Cook sat out his third in a row with a sprained left ankle. But three of the Clippers' last five games have included wins over Miami, the Lakers and the Mavericks - who had beaten them 10 straight times and won 16 of the previous 17 meetings.

"We beat a good team tonight without our best player, so it was big for us, confidence-wise," Williams said. "I mean, you're going to have your games like Utah, where we just didn't get off the bus and wasted jet fuel. But for us, to be able to do these things that we're doing, we've got veteran guys that relish these moments. We don't call Chauncey `Big Shot' for nothing."

Blake Griffin had 17 rebounds along with 14 points and seven assists - the last setting up Billups' rainbow from the right of the key.

"Griffin is very explosive and always looking to attack," Dirk Nowitzki said. "He's the future of the league and he's fun to watch. We actually thought we did a decent job on him tonight."

It was the third time already this season that the Mavs lost on a 3-pointer with less than 5 seconds to go. On Monday night at Staples Center, Derek Fisher connected with 3.1 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a 73-70 win. On Dec. 29, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant made one at the buzzer to beat Dallas.

"We've got to keep on fighting," Nowitzki said. "Nobody said it was going to be easy, but we can't keep losing on 3s that end the game."

Jordan's dunk and Griffin's layup gave the Clippers an 88-33 lead with 1:29 remaining. Dallas' Ian Mahinmi missed both free throws at the other end, but Jason Terry hit the first of his two 3-pointers to cut the margin to 88-86.

Billups missed a 12-footer, and Griffin forced a jump ball with Nowitzki on the ensuing rebound with 14.9 seconds to play. Griffin got the tip to Billups, who caught it off-balance and lost it out of bounds. Terry then hit his second trey with 5 seconds left, and Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro called a timeout to set up what proved to be the winning basket.

"Again we lost on a 3 from the right side - the same spot Fish made his shot the other night," Dallas' Jason Kidd said. "The Clippers drew up a good play. We knew Billups and Griffin were going to have the ball at some point, and Billups made the shot. We were in a position to win the game, and we just couldn't get a stop.

"We must lead the league in last-second shots made by our opponents, so we've got to figure out a way to close the door," Kidd added. "We left it open, but there were a lot of plays that led to that just to get us back in the ballgame. And those two shots Jason Terry made were huge."

Nowitzki and Delonte West each scored 17 points for Dallas. Kidd, playing his third game after missing the previous four because of back spasms, played 15 scoreless minutes in the first half and finished with five points and 10 assists. The 17-year veteran was 1 for 9 from the field against the Lakers, including 0 for 8 from 3-point range.

Terry made his only two 3-point baskets of the game in the final 37 seconds, the second coming with 5 seconds to play after losing Jordan on a switch and getting himself all alone at the top of the lane.

The Mavericks played without Vince Carter, who sprained his left foot on the final play of Monday night's 73-70 loss to the Lakers when he tried to position himself for a 3-point shot that he missed at the buzzer. The team's second-leading scorer off the bench returned to Dallas to get examined by team doctors.

Neither team led by more than six points until Jordan completed a three-point play to give the Clippers a 64-57 advantage with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. They led by as many as nine before Dallas used a 14-5 run to pull into a 71-all tie heading to the fourth.

Williams, who sat out the previous three games, was the first player off the Clippers' bench and scored 18 points to help Los Angeles take a 52-51 halftime lead.

Caron Butler missed his first seven shots over 27 scoreless minutes before ending the drought on an 18-footer that gave the Clippers a 68-62 lead with 3:05 left in the third.

Notes: Since moving to Los Angeles for the 1984-85 campaign, the Clippers are 17-69 against teams that won an NBA title the previous season. The franchise was 20-46 against defending NBA champs during the Buffalo and San Diego years. ... Jordan reached double digits in field-goal attempts for the fifth time in 215 NBA games. His previous career high was 12. ... The Clippers have allowed fewer than 100 points in each of their eight victories, and more than 100 in each of their four losses. This was the sixth time they held an opponent under 90. ... With 23,050 career points, Nowitzki is 90 away from overtaking Hall of Famer and former Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor for 22nd place all-time. The only active players with more points than Nowitzki are Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett.

Notebook: Clippers 91, Mavs 89

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com
Posted Thursday January 19, 2012 2:35AM

THE FACTS: Playing his third game in three nights, 35-year-old guard Chauncey Billups didn't let his age become a factor Wednesday night. He sank a 3-point basket with one second remaining to lift the Clippers to 91-89 victory against the Mavericks, who lost their second consecutive game in L.A. on a last-second 3-pointer by a veteran guard. Derek Fisher of the Lakers beat the Mavericks with 3.1 seconds remaining Monday night.

QUOTABLE: "Chauncey, with his experience, he has made a lot of them. It didn't surprise me that it went in. I was just pleased with the development of the play and the execution."
-- Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro on the winning shot.

THE STAT: Clippers backup point guard Mo Williams returned to the lineup after missing the last three games with a sore right foot and he played fresh and easy, scoring a season-high 26 points off the bench to pace the Clippers, who were without starting point guard Chris Paul (hamstring strain). Clippers center DeAndre Jordan also netted a season-high 19 points and Blake Griffin finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds, one off his career best.

TURNING POINT: After shooting guard Jason Terry gave the Mavericks an 89-88 lead on a 3-point basket with five seconds remaining, the Clippers called timeout and in-bounded the ball on their offensive side of the floor. Billups passed the ball to Griffin, who got it back to Billups and he immediately let go of the winning 3-point basket as he toed the line. After the referees huddled up for their third video review in the final 15 seconds, they agreed it was a 3-point shot.

HOT: Take you pick. Williams started the game 7-for-7 and had a season-high 18 points at the half. Billups made four of his first five shots and scored 10 of his 21 points in the opening quarter. Williams and Billups, who shared point-guard duties for much of the game, were a combined 9-for-10 in the opening quarter with 21 points. For the Mavericks, guard Delonte West scored a season-high 17 points, doubling his season average of 7.4 points with four minutes still remaining in the first half.

NOT: Clippers small forward Caron Butler struggled through the worst shooting night of his 10-year career when taking more than seven shots. He was 1-for-12 from the field and scored just two points. Randy Foye missed his first eight field goal attempts and finished 2-for-10. Even Billups struggled after his hot start, missing 11 of 13 shots before hitting his game winner. For the Mavericks, forward Dirk Nowitzki had an off night, shooting 6-for-18 and scoring 17 points.

GOOD MOVE: Late in the first quarter, Foye went up toward the rim with the ball and flipped it back over his shoulder to a trailing Griffin, who caught the lob with one hand and slammed it through the rim during a 15-3 run that briefly gave the Clippers the lead.

BAD MOVE: Nowitzki missed the morning shoot-around with a cold, so maybe he could be excused for being a little grumpy. He raked Clippers backup forward Reggie Evans across the forearms as he prepared to go up with the ball, then turned and yelled at ref, "Now that's a foul!' Evans, who was 4-for-16 from the line this season coming into the game, made both free throws to give Clippers a one-point lead at the half.

QUOTABLE II: "I'm proud of the guys and the way we battled back and fought. We made plays when we needed to and that was the key."
-- Vinny Del Negro on playing the third game in three nights.

NOTABLE: Dallas fell to 0-5 on the road this season against Western Conference opponents ... The Mavericks had not allowed more than 76 points in their previous three games and not more than 86 points in the last six .. The Clippers are the 13th team to play three games in three days, and the teams are now 9-4 in the final game ... Williams scored 29 points when the Clippers last played Dallas in April.

UP NEXT: For the Clippers, Friday vs. Minnesota, Sunday vs. Toronto, Wednesday @ L.A. Lakers. For the Mavericks, Thursday @ Utah, Saturday @ New Orleans, Monday vs. Phoenix.

• Mavericks: Jones, Williams
• Clippers: Bledsoe, Cook

• Mavericks: Nowitzki
• Clippers: --

• Lead Changes: 16
• Times Tied: 10

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #55 Bill Kennedy, #6 Tony Brown, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 19252
• Duration: 2:42