Mavericks-Clippers Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Third seed secure, No. 2 spot in reach
Dallas Mavericks 117 at Los Angeles Clippers 94

The picture was very clear for the Dallas Mavericks as they entered their last road game of the regular season. Making quick work of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Mavs made that picture crystal clear Monday night.

Win out and the Southwest Division champion Mavericks are well aware that they will lock up the second slot in the Western Conference playoff seeding. Taking the court for the second to last regular season test, the Mavs also knew winning out would merely mean duplicating the results of the previous three matchups. The Mavs stepped into the Staples Center on a three-game winning streak, while also concluding a three-stop road trip. They walked out with at least the No. 3 seed, sweeping the season series against the Clippers with a dominant 117-94 win.

"We came here tonight wanting and needing to win. Our team wants that second spot in the playoffs," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "I am happy with our results. As a coach, we want to see positive outcomes in a game. I felt like tonight we conquered that."

Fortunately, the team took a step in the right direction on the health front, welcoming back Shawn Marion after the versatile forward missed three games with a strained left oblique muscle. However, the squad was without swingman Caron Butler due to a minor hip injury. Meanwhile, the Clippers had injuries of their own to be concerned about, missing lead guard Baron Davis (wrist) and Eric Gordon (viral infection).

With Butler sidelined, rookie Rodrigue Beaubois slid into the starting lineup next to point guard Jason Kidd, Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier. Marion showed no ill effects in coming back from the injury, elevating for rejections on defense and transition scores on the offensive end. But Beaubois' above-the-rim finishes and electric play in the opening quarter stole the show, sparking a 12-0 run. As he has throughout the road trip, Nowitzki continued his assault on the opposition, after being named the Western Conference's Player of the Week earlier in the day for the fourth time this season and 14th time in his career. With the squad clicking on all cylinders, the Mavs quickly jumped out to a double-digit advantage, taking a 37-26 lead at the end of one.

The Mavs never looked in their rearview.

"We did not risk anything tonight. It went smoothly, just like we went over in practice," Carlisle said.

The Dallas bench was the story in the second stanza, creating a 16-point space between the two teams. Then Nowitzki re-entered the game and went right back to terrorizing the L.A. defense. The sharpshooter's scoring, combined with Kidd's Hall-of-Fame playmaking and Marion's spectacular finishing ability, lifted the Mavs to a favorable 64-43 margin at the midway point.

Behind Nowitzki's 13 points and Kidd's eight assists, the Mavericks overcame seven first-half turnovers and out-shot the Clippers 56 percent to 41 percent. Marion pitched in 12 points in the first 24 minutes of play.

The combination of Beaubois and Kidd kick-started the Mavs in the third quarter. And neither Nowitzki or Marion skipped a beat, helping to build a lead as large as 33. Outscoring the Clippers 35-26 in the period, the Mavs entered the final quarter with a 99-69 advantage.

"We played well down the stretch tonight. We rebounded well and our offense was good," the coach said.

With the game no longer in doubt, Carlisle emptied his bench in the fourth quarter. Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson took over the scoring load, putting the seal on a NBA-best 27th road victory of the season.

By the end of the night, the Mavs' 54 percent shooting bettered 46 percent for L.A. The pass-happy Mavericks' season-high tying 37 assists also made it possible to nail 11 of 27 shots from behind the 3-point arch. A 16-4 edge in fast-break points also went the Mavericks' way.

Playing just three quarters, Nowitzki led the way with 25 points after hitting nine of 13 shots. In his return to the lineup, Marion posted 21 points on 9-of-12 from the field in his 26 minutes of action.

"We want to have fun and take this experience and use it for our run in the playoffs," Marion said of the winning streak at the end of the season. "I am excited for what will happen with our team and the guys."

After his 105th career triple-double came in Sacramento, Kidd recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 assists. Jason Terry (12), Beaubois (11) and Stevenson (11) made it six Mavs that scored in double figures.

All-Star forward Chris Kaman's 17 points led the Clippers, though it came in a losing cause.

Now, the Mavs return to the American Airlines Center for the regular season finale against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. With a win, the team claims the No. 2 seed in the playoff picture. The Mavericks lead the season series season series with the Spurs 2-1. The game will air locally on KTXA and KTXA HD at 7 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

Then the attention turns to the postseason, with the team hosting an opening round playoff series on either Saturday or Sunday.

"I am not sure if our team is where it needs to be for the playoffs," Carlisle said, wanting to see more. "We need to work on our rebounding if we want to play great basketball. We need to take positive steps to get good results. We have better players, I know we can get far if we play together."

"We have better players this season, with great experience in the playoffs and Finals. Those are the guys who are going to guide the rest of the players who have not been there yet," Marion concluded.

Note: Mavs.com introduces a new, interactive broadcast entitled "Technical Foul," hosted by Mavs television broadcasters Mark Followill and Bob Ortegel. The first live broadcast will be Friday, April 16 at 12:30 p.m. CT, highlighting the Mavericks' first-round playoff series while Earl K. Sneed fields questions from the fans via the official Mavs Twitter account. Tune in for exclusive Mavs talk with the people that know the team the best.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Clippers Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
The drive for No. 2 comes down to two games
Dallas Mavericks (53-27) at Los Angeles Clippers (28-52)

The Dallas Mavericks are right where they want to be: In the driver's seat, leading the race for the Western Conference's No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

With a three-game winning streak and back-to-back victories to begin their three-matchup road trip, the Southwest Division champion Mavs have opened up a one-game advantage over Denver, Utah and Phoenix for the two spot. Now all the Mavericks have to do is finish victorious in the last two games of the season to secure second place behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoff tree.

"We'd love to finish second and have home-court (advantage in the playoffs) as long as we can," forward Dirk Nowitzki said.

But if the Mavericks are to continue to hold on to the second seeding, a victory against the L.A. Clippers on Monday night is a necessity. The lowly Clippers will not only be trying to spoil Dallas' hopes of playoff positioning, they'll also be out to avoid a season series sweep at the hands of the Mavs.

"Each game has critical meaning in terms of the seeding. Our guys are focused in on what we need to do," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said.

One player who has certainly been focused on the task at hand has been Nowitzki, following up a 40-point outburst in Portland with 39 points in a 126-108 blowout win in Sacramento. Carlisle says the team will continue to go to their nine-time All-Star, early and often.

"Dirk's our guy. We play through him. He's going to make good things happen for us," the coach said. "If he's open, there is a good chance he is going to make the shot. He is that kind of a scorer and that kind of big shooter."

Nowitzki has found success in a variety of ways, including with the 3-point shot, in the last two games. But the 7-footer has also attacked the rim with aggression of late, leading to 30-for-30 at the foul line on the team's current journey through the West Coast. He has now swished in 68 straight free throws, breaking his own franchise mark of 60.

"I was just being aggressive. If I'm open, shoot the ball or put it on the floor and get to the foul line. That always helps," Nowitzki explained.

The superstar got plenty of help in the form of point guard Jason Kidd's all-around performance against Sacramento. The future Hall of Famer tallied up 11 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists against the Kings, recording his second triple-double of the season and the 105th of his illustrious career.

"It's beautiful to watch (Kidd) play," Kings coach Paul Westphal said after watching the veteran lead guard. "He fills up the stat sheet but he doesn't play for stats. He just plays for making the right play every time, and he gets them in the right situations."

It was Kidd, the scorer, that showed up the last time the Mavs and Clippers met. With Nowitzki ejected in the third quarter for just the third time in his career, Kidd stepped up with 26 points on his 37th birthday to help down the Clippers 106-96 in the American Airlines Center on March 23. Naturally, the 10-time All-Star added 12 assists and six rebounds to make the birthday complete.

"With Dirk out, I thought I'd play Dirk," Kidd said. "I didn't want a bad birthday, so I was going to take the blame if we lost with my offensive output...It was a nice birthday gift and a good birthday, and I'm glad we got the win."

"I thought (Kidd) willed the team with his energy and his enthusiasm," Carlisle said after that victory. "He got guys engaged and it wasn't just playmaking -- it was shotmaking, it was assists, it was defensive plays, it was giving guys confidence out there...I can't say enough great things about Jason Kidd. The two years I have been with him, he's been just phenomenal."

Kidd will once again be called upon if forward Shawn Marion misses his fourth straight game due to a left oblique strain. Marion is listed as a game-time decision Monday night, after limited participation in the team's morning shootaround.


Fortunately for the Mavs, the L.A. squad might also be without a key contributor. The playing status of Kidd's counterpart, Baron Davis, is uncertain. Davis left in the third quarter of the Clippers' 107-104 win against Golden State on Saturday night, suffering a sprained right wrist.

Still, the Mavericks are not overlooking the Clippers by any means. That being said, the Mavs know they can't afford to lose to a team eliminated from playoff contention.

"You have to get the win against the Clippers, because they have nothing to play for. It's a necessity," center Brendan Haywood said.

The Mavericks conclude their road trip against the Clippers at the Staples Center on Monday night. Dallas won the first two games in the season series. The matchup will air nationally on NBA TV and locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 9:30 p.m. CT.

The team returns to the American Airlines Center for the final regular season game against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Clippers-Mavericks Recap

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Birthday Kidd shines with Dirk out
Los Angeles Clippers 96 at Dallas Mavericks 106

Everyone wishes they could celebrate their birthday in style. Jason Kidd made sure that he did.

After dropping three of four games, the Dallas Mavericks needed to shake things up against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night. A change in the starting lineup is what Mavs coach Rick Carlisle thought would do the trick, as his team took the court for the second game of a back-to-back. But by night's end, it would be the play of a 37-year-old Kidd that grabbed the headlines on his birthday.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

With the team's leading scorer, Dirk Nowitzki, ejected during the third quarter for just the third time in his career, the pass-first Kidd became the Mavs' No. 1 scoring option when the team needed him most. The birthday "kid" did not disappoint, leading his team to a 106-96 victory while writing another chapter in his Hall of Fame novel.

"I thought (Kidd) willed the team with his energy and his enthusiasm," Carlisle said of the 10-time All-Star. "He got guys engaged and it wasn't just play-making -- it was shot-making, it was assists, it was defensive plays, it was giving guys confidence out there."

"With Dirk out, I thought I'd play Dirk," Kidd said. "I didn't want a bad birthday, so I was going to take the blame if we lost with my offensive output."

Before the game, Carlisle made the executive decision to insert center Erick Dampier at the five spot in place of Brendan Haywood. Dampier joined the first unit for the first time since dislocating his right middle finger in a 99-86 road loss to Oklahoma City on Feb. 16.

"I've talked to both Damp and Haywood about starting," Carlisle said. "Hey, they're a team...We have too much inconsistency right now. I think we'll remedy that, but I'm not ready to pencil guys in."

But while the 7-footer tried to stabilize the interior, Nowitzki and Kidd handled the scoring load in the opening quarter. With the Dallas defense scrambling from end to end and Shawn Marion's back-to-back scores to close the period, the Mavericks opened up a 32-24 advantage after one.

The Mavericks turned four L.A. turnovers into 10 points at the other end in the first quarter.

Haywood got his opportunity in the second period and he made the most of it. The former North Carolina standout put in work at both ends of the court, sending back shots with his emphatic rejections and scoring with ease in the paint. Wisely, the big man also left the scoring to Nowitzki and Kidd, as the duo shot the Mavs to a double-digit lead. Despite Clippers forward Chris Kaman's best efforts, Dallas took a 62-48 margin into the half.

Nowitzki's 18 first half points led all scorers at the midway point, connecting on 8-of-10 shots. Kaman paced L.A. with 12 points. The Mavericks out-shot the Clippers 54 percent to 42 percent after 24 minutes of play.

Carlisle's rotation continued to get a facelift in the second half, as the coach waited just 52 seconds into the third quarter before replacing Caron Butler with DeShawn Stevenson. But that's not the sequence that impacted the game most.

At the 9:16-mark of the third, Nowitzki earned himself an early exit, drawing back-to-back technicals for arguing with the officials.

"That was a bad decision by Dirk. It put the team in a terrible situation and he knows it was wrong," Carlisle explained. "If you get a technical, you get one and make your point and you got to let it go. He is too important to us. But hey, we had other guys that stepped up."

With No. 41 in the locker room, the Clippers hacked into the Mavs' lead with a 9-0 run. Kaman then gave the Clippers a 71-69 edge with a floater in the lane. L.A. then proceeded to take a 77-76 lead into the final period. The Mavs shot just 6-of-23 and were outscored 29-14 in the third quarter.

The Mavericks then found life in the play of rookie Rodrigue Beaubois, including the young guard's electric two-hand finish off Kidd's lob pass to open up the fourth period.

"Beaubois was ready to come in and he played big for us...This is one of those games where you have to find a way. We ran the lob play for Roddy, which worked and that got the crowd into it and it just kind of lifted us," the coach said.

The play ignited a fuse in the Mavs, helping the team to eight unanswered points. Kidd then took control, swishing in perimeter shots and scoring in transition to open up an 18-point lead with a 22-3 run to begin the quarter.

"I thought we played a pretty good first half and then we kind of just let down and gave the lead away. We found ourselves in a dogfight, then we responded and we all pitched in and did something well in the fourth," Kidd said.

The Dallas advantage reached as much as 19 before the Clippers climbed to within eight down the stretch with the game securely tucked in the Mavs' pocket. Kidd checked out with 19.1 ticks left to a standing ovation.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
"I can't say enough great things about Jason Kidd. Tonight, and really the two years I have been with him, he's been just phenomenal," the coach added.

"I don't believe he's 37," Beaubois said. "He's lying. When Dirk went out, he really took over the game."

Behind Kidd's season-high 26 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, the Mavericks more than made up for Nowitzki's ejection. The veteran also connected on a season-best six 3-pointers on 11 attempts. He did it all while battling for over 41 minutes.

"It was a nice birthday gift and a good birthday, and I'm glad we got the win," Kidd said.

Though Nowitzki recorded his first ejection since December 26, 2008 at Utah, the star did score 18 points in 19 minutes. The Mavs' role players more than picked up the slack, as Jason Terry (14), Marion (12), Haywood (12) and Beaubois (10) all scored in double figures. Haywood also snatched down 10 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench.

"You got to get the win against the Clippers, because they had nothing to play for. It was a necessity," Haywood explained.

The Dallas reserves outscored their L.A. counterparts 43-5.

Former Mav Drew Gooden led the Clippers with a season-best output in his return to the American Airlines Center. The former Kansas product set season-highs with 26 points and 20 rebounds. Kaman finished with 22 points.

Now the Mavericks try to keep the momentum going as they head out west for a two-game road trip. The journey begins with a nationally televised game on TNT against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. The game will air at 9:30 p.m. CT. The Blazers have won the first two matchups between the teams, with four regular season games scheduled.

"We haven't beat them all year, so this is a big game for us," Terry said.

The Mavericks return to the American Airlines Center on Monday night when they host the Denver Nuggets. The Mavs and Nuggets have split the first two games of the season series. That matchup will air nationally on NBA TV and locally on KTXA 21 at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Clippers-Mavericks Preview

(Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Los Angeles Clippers (26-44) at Dallas Mavericks (46-24)

As the playoffs approach, the Dallas Mavericks are trying to keep from making the same mistake that a lot of veteran teams make in the final month of the season. The squad doesn't want to look ahead to mid-April just yet.

But after dropping three of their last four games, the Mavs may need to redirect their focus back to what's happening on the hardwood.

(Photo by Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images)

"It's disappointing," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "(The players) clearly have a focus problem that we must look at and fix before the postseason. And we have the ability to do it."

Now the Mavericks are in a unique position. Though they have a stranglehold on the Southwest Division, they certainly aren't happy with their recent play.

Monday night didn't make things any better. The Mavs watched a 16-point first quarter lead end in a 115-99 loss to the New Orleans Hornets. The loss snapped the Mavericks' five-game road winning streak.

"We got up 16 points and then basically called it quits," forward Shawn Marion said after the loss. "I think we just took it on the chin. We stopped everything we were doing. We got relaxed, and they got aggressive and started getting comfortable and making shots. That was basically it."

The loss was just the latest blunder since the team's 13-game win streak ended in a 34-point home defeat to the New York Knicks on March 13.

"I think the big thing is we're being inconsistent. Maybe a little bit too relaxed. We understand how important these games are," point guard Jason Kidd said.

But the Mavericks don't have much time to sit around and mope over the loss to the Hornets. Just 24 hours later the Mavericks have to play host to the Los Angeles Clippers in the second game of a back-to-back. L.A. might be the perfect remedy, entering the game losers of nine out of their last ten contests.

Still, Carlisle knows just how feisty the Clippers are capable of being, after his team escaped the Staples Center with a 93-84 win on Oct. 31. The coach is hopeful that his team won't take L.A. lightly.

"We have a quick turnaround, and everyone has to bounce back. The Clippers are a very talented and healthy team. We are going to have to do a lot better than we did (Monday night)," Carlisle explained.

(Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
But if the Mavericks are also going to take the second of three meetings between the teams then they are going to have to put together a quality 48-minute performance. It's something the team has failed to do in the past four games, according to Kidd.

"For the last four games, we've played one quarter each game -- we've won games because of that and lost games because of that. It's something we have to look at," the future Hall of Famer added.

The Mavs will also try to cut down on turnovers, as miscues have allowed their opposition to capitalize with easy scores at the other end. The Hornets did just that, scoring 35 points off Dallas' 20 total turnovers. It's a formula for failure.

"When you turn it over 20 times for 35 points, it's going to be hard to win a game. The Hornets took advantage of the forced turnovers they created," Carlisle said.

The Mavs will try not to make the same mistake against the Clippers.

L.A. enters the American Airlines Center with the Mavericks looking to avoid their third straight loss. The game will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-MAVS.

For up to the minute news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Clippers Recap

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com (10/31/09)
Dallas Mavericks 93 at Los Angeles Clippers 84

After getting perhaps the most impressive win of any team in the young season on Friday night, it would have been easy for the Dallas Mavericks to take the Los Angeles Clippers lightly just one night later.

Instead the Mavericks looked to make themselves right at home at the Staples Center for the second straight night, after a 14-point defeat of the Lakers one night earlier on the same floor. Though it wasn't easy, Dallas escaped L.A. with another notch in the win column after squeaking out a 93-84 victory against the Clippers on Saturday night.

(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Jason Terry, bench scoring pushed Dallas to the 93-84 win


"Our concentration and attitude was great coming into this game," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "We knew this was going to be a tough game. The Clippers are a much better team than their record reflects."

"Everybody knew that last night was last night, today was a big game," point guard Jason Kidd said. "We found out that we could play great defense, we were able to carry that over tonight and with that we were able to win."

For the third straight game, Carlisle went with a starting lineup of Kidd, Quinton Ross, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier. The Mavericks' bench would be just as important as the starters by night's end.

The Mavs were without big man Drew Gooden after the forward suffered a muscle strain to his right rib cage in the win over the Lakers. Gooden will have an MRI done when the team returns to Dallas on Sunday.

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, Dallas came out with tired legs and the Clippers capitalized behind the play of Chris Kaman and Eric Gordon. Midway through the opening quarter the Clippers owned a 16-10 lead with 14 combined points coming from Kaman and Gordon. The Mavericks found their "second legs," tallying eight unanswered points to take the lead.

L.A. surged back on top when backup point guard Sebastian Telfair entered the game and ignited the Clippers' bench, as the quarter ended with L.A. up 27-23. The Mavs' fatigue was evident, as Dallas hit on just 7-of-22 shots in the period.

The two teams exchanged blow for blow to start the second quarter, but Dallas' depth began to show its strength when J.J. Barea and Kris Humphries' two-man game started to take effect. The back and forth continued until the final minutes of the first half.

Dallas closed the half in horrible fashion, with consecutive turnovers. The first turned into an easy transition score for Baron Davis. The next time down, Kidd's Hail Mary pass was stolen and taken in for a three-point play by Kaman after Kidd committed a blocking foul.

The Mavs were then bailed out by the Clippers when Telfair fouled Jason Terry on a 3-point attempt. Telfair then earned a technical foul for arguing the call. Down four, Dallas connected on all four free throws to tie the game at 55-all heading into the halftime break.

Although L.A. out-shot Dallas 49 to 42 percent, and won the rebounding edge 25-19, the Mavs stayed in the game by forcing 11 turnovers while only having four giveaways of their own.

Kaman led all scorers with 19 points in the half, while Nowitzki and Marion led the way for Dallas with 12 points apiece.

Looking for more offense, Carlisle went with Terry instead of Ross at the shooting guard spot to start the second half. The threat of another scorer on the court seemed to be enough, as Dallas' high-tempo offense from Friday night returned to push the Mavs to a 66-62 lead midway through the third after a Kidd-to-Dampier alley-oop connection. That was followed by a Terry steal and breakaway dunk at the other end on the next possession.

All told, Dallas outscored L.A. 25-16 in the third, holding a lead as large as 12 in the period before taking an 80-71 advantage into the fourth quarter.

The Clippers started the final period on a 7-2 run (10-2 from the end of the third) , prompting a timeout from Carlisle after Telfair found Gordon on the wing for a 3-pointer with 9:38 left and the Mavs' lead dwindled to four. The Clippers run continued, as L.A. knotted the game at 82-all, but Terry's 3-pointer with 5:06 remaining quieted the hometown crowd.

The Mavericks' defense then came to life, as Kidd took an offensive foul from Gordon square in the chest, leading to a Terry score to put Dallas up three (87-84) with 2:56 left.

Kidd connected on another highlight reel play with Dampier above the rim, putting Dallas up by five and the Mavs never looked back. Back-to-back offensive rebounds from Kidd allowed Dallas to run valuable time off the clock, while L.A. committed consecutive costly turnovers in the final minute. The Mavs then turned to their former league MVP to ice the game, and Nowitzki came through, sinking a fadeaway jumper with 29.5 seconds left. Despite only scoring 13 points in the fourth, the Mavericks held on for the 93-84 win.

"The home team is always going to make runs, but its important to keep your composure. The game came down to the fourth quarter and we got 11 stops of the last 12 possessions. That shows us that we have what it takes to win games," Carlisle said of the team's ability to close out the win.

All three starting frontline players for Dallas scored in double figures, as Nowitzki scored a team-high 24 points, Marion added 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Dampier came up big in Gooden's absence with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Dampier also defended the paint with three blocks. Kidd's 10 assists benefited Dampier the most.

"If he sees an opening he throws it there," Dampier said of Kidd. "He keeps our team going, if a player is open he will find them."

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year was also the beneficiary of Kidd's vision. Picking up where he left off last year, Terry finished with 16 points off the Dallas bench. The Maverick reserves outscored their Clipper counterparts 34-18.

Kaman led the Clippers with a game-high 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Dallas finished the game shooting 42 percent to offset L.A.'s 43 percent. The Mavs hit just 3-of-14 from 3-point range, but Dallas won the battle on the glass by out-rebounding L.A. 44-42. The Mavs also forced the Clippers into 18 turnovers off 11 steals, while only committing 11 turnovers of their own.

"Our defense was the key tonight. It wasn’t as good as last night’s game, we will be working on that for the next couple of games," Dampier said.



After going a perfect 2-for-2 on their Southern California road trip, the Mavs improved to 2-1 on the season. Dallas returns to the American Airlines Center and face the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. Tickets remain available. For ticket information call (214) 747-MAVS. The game will air on FSN Southwest.

The Mavs have also introduced the “MavsU” program, designed to offer college and university students an opportunity to attend Mavs games at a discounted rate. The Mavericks and Genghis Grill have teamed to offer discounted tickets to students for many upcoming games.

To purchase any MavsU ticket and receive a coupon for a free bowl at Genghis simply call 214-747-MAVS or visit Mavs.com.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.

Mavericks-Clippers Preview

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com (10/31/09)
Dallas Mavericks (1-1) at Los Angeles Clippers (0-3)

Though it was only Game 2-of-82, the Dallas Mavericks made a statement with their 94-80 road win over the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers Friday night.

With little time to celebrate, the Mavericks hit the court again Saturday night to meet the Lakers' co-tenants, the L.A. Clippers. After grabbing their first win of the young season, the Mavs may have established an identity as a tough-minded, defensive-oriented, transition-scoring ball club.

(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Mavs hope to sweep their 2-game L.A. trip

"It is just a win, and game two, so if it helps us confidence-wise then we know we can play with the best," point guard Jason Kidd said after the win over the Lakers. "We have another one Saturday night in this building, so we have to prepare now for the Clippers."

Though it will only show up as just one win in the standings, the confidence the Mavs can take from the win will never show up on the stat sheet. Now the Mavericks have to avoid a letdown against the team that received the No. 1 overall pick in June's NBA Draft.

While that draft pick, former Oklahoma standout Blake Griffin, will be out of action for up to six weeks with a stress fracture of his left kneecap, the Clippers still possess a potent scorer in Baron Davis and great post players in Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman.

If Davis can remain healthy and Griffin returns to display his top-notch ability, the Clippers are expected to be a much-improved team from a squad that won just 19 games last season.



Still Mavs coach Rick Carlisle saw enough Friday night to convince him that this Mavericks team can compete with anyone because of their team chemistry and desire to be the best.

"I have great belief in these guys," Carlisle said. "I know how much they want to win, I know how much they love to win, and I know how much they love playing together. We just have to keep working on the mindset. That’s the biggest thing."

Dallas plays its second consecutive game at the Staples Center on Saturday night against the Clippers, with the game airing locally on KTXA 21 and KTXA 21 HD at 9:30 p.m. CT.

Follow Mavs.com’s Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EarlKSneed.