Mavericks at Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers have won four of five games heading into their matchup Saturday afternoon against the visiting Dallas Mavericks, but have just one quality victory in the last month. The last four wins by the Clippers have come against teams with a combined record of 34-111 entering Friday. Their lone quality victory since Dec. 9 came Christmas night against the visiting Golden State Warriors, who were without starting center Andrew Bogut.
Dallas became the latest team to get run over by the resurgent Detroit Pistons on Wednesday and they’ve had two days to digest the loss after playing three games in four nights. The Mavericks have been outrebounded in six of their last seven games and that could pose a problem against the Clippers, who have the league’s leading rebounder in DeAndre Jordan, who also scored his career high of 25 points against the Mavericks last January. Tyson Chandler, third in the NBA in rebounding, may be able to neutralize Jordan, but the Mavericks need someone to box out power forward Blake Griffin, who's averaging 7.8 boards a game with 19 in the last two games.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Dallas), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (26-11): Monta Ellis is on pace to become the first person besides Dirk Nowitzki to lead Dallas in scoring since the 1999-2000 season. Ellis is averaging 20.5 points, while Nowitzki is averaging 18.4, four points below his career average. Ellis has hit the 20-point mark 17 times this season and the Mavericks have won 12 of those games.
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (24-12): This will be the eighth game in a season-long nine-game game homestand that began with the Christmas night victory against the Warriors. Los Angeles has gone 5-2 during the stretch of games at Staples Center, which concludes Sunday against the visiting Miami Heat. Clippers point guard Chris Paul should be fired up for his matchup against Rajon Rondo as both are ranked in the top four in the league in assists.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The last six meetings between these teams have been decided by seven points or less
2. The Clippers have won seven of the last 10 against the Mavericks, their most successful 10-game stretch against Dallas since 1992-94
3. Ellis, Jordan and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers are the only players to start every game since the start of the 2012-13 season