Dirk Nowitzki and Corey Brewer lead Dallas Mavericks to 107-96 win over Los Angeles Clippers
Forwards Dirk Nowitzki and Corey Brewer scored 20 points apiece as the Dallas Mavericks thrashed the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 107-96 at American Airlines Centre on Friday night. Nowitzki also grabbed seven assists and eight rebounds in the victory.
The result snapped the four-game losing streak of the Mavericks, who occupy third spot in the Western Conference with 54 victories in the 2010-11 season. However, Dallas are ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder by one game.
Mavericks guard Jason Kidd sat out his second straight game, as he is being rested ahead of the playoffs.
The 32-year-old Nowitzki said that the main cause of his team's poor performances in recent games was injuries. He said, "We haven't played well, lost some games, had some injuries, Kidd's resting, so it's all piling up a little bit. Maybe this is the game
we needed to get some stuff out and refocus."
Dallas played the game with a balanced attack as six of their players scored in double figures. Centre Tyson Chandler and guard Jose Barea finished with 15 points each for Dallas.
The 31-year-old Shawn Marion added 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Peja Stojakovic came off the bench with 10 points for the Mavericks, who have won six of their last 10 games.
Clippers guard Mo Williams chipped in with a game-high 29 points in the losing cause. In addition to that, he pulled down six assists and five rebounds for Los Angeles, who are already out of the playoff race.
Blake Griffin finished with 23 points, six assists and nine rebounds, while Eric Gordon racked up 11 points and six assists for the Clippers, who lost their second game in a row.
Match Analysis
The Clippers got off to an impressive start and held a 13-6 lead early in the first quarter. Los Angeles scored most of their points in the paint and carried a 35-19 lead into the second.
The Mavs did not lose heart and got themselves back into the game in the second quarter. Dallas outscored the Clippers 28-19 in the second but Los Angeles managed to maintain a 54-47 lead at half time.
The absence of Kidd did not bother the Mavericks at all, as they went on a 22-4 run to take a 63-56 lead with less than six minutes to go in the third quarter. Dallas successfully converted the seven-point half time deficit into a 77-75 lead heading into
the fourth quarter.
Clippers head coach Vinny Del Negro acknowledged the Mavericks great comeback in the third stanza. He said, "We knew the Mavs were going to come out in the third quarter, and they jumped on us early. We did not control the tempo of the game very well. I
thought we took some quick shots, didn't make them work, then they got on a little bit of a run where they were getting layups after layups or easy shots."
The Clippers played well midway through the fourth to make it a one-point contest at 89-88 with over seven minutes left in the quarter. The Mavs scored nine unanswered points in the next minute to make it 98-88 for good. Dallas maintained their double-digit
lead down the stretch to seal the victory.
Tags: