Mavericks at Clippers
The Dallas Mavericks have put themselves on the brink of a postseason spot but are not taking anything for granted as they try to wrap up a strong final two weeks and the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference. The Mavericks will try to clinch their spot when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
Dallas could wind up as high as No. 6 in the West with a strong final three games, standing one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies entering Saturday. The Mavericks did some of the work themselves by knocking off the Grizzlies 103-93 on Friday and need one win in the final three games or a loss by the Houston Rockets to lock up a playoff position. "I'm not proud of anything yet,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. “We've got to get to the playoffs and we've got to get the best possible seed. That's really what this is about. This is no time to pat ourselves on the back.” The Clippers are already locked into the No. 4 spot and are spending their time tuning up for the postseason by working forward Blake Griffin slowly back into the rotation while getting everyone else plenty of rest.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, TXA 21 (Dallas), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (41-38): Dallas has won six straight and was sparked by the play of point guard J.J. Barea, who averaged 24.2 points in the first five of those wins before exiting Friday’s game early with a groin injury. Raymond Felton (season-high 14 assists) and Devin Harris (16 points) stepped up in his place and the Mavericks kept up a defensive intensity that has transformed the team of late. “You’ve got to do whatever you’ve got to do to win,” Felton told reporters. “We’re all in this dogfight together, fighting to make the playoffs, which we’ve put ourselves in a great situation now. But we’ve still got to continue to win games, no matter what.”
ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (51-28): Los Angeles damaged the playoff hopes of the Utah Jazz with a 102-99 overtime win on Friday and are cruising to the end of the regular season with wins in four straight and eight of nine. Starters Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and J.J. Redick all sat out the game but Jamal Crawford stepped up with 30 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, in 49 minutes and Cole Aldrich collected 21 points and 18 rebounds. “Just continues to give us confidence,” Aldrich told reporters. “For us to come in here and just continue to fight the way we did shows character.”
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Barea is questionable while PG Deron Williams (sports hernia) is unlikely to play at least the rest of the regular season.
2. Clippers F Paul Pierce is 11-of-20 from the field in two games since returning from a knee injury.
3. Los Angeles has taken four of the last six in the series, including a 109-90 win at Dallas on March 7.