The Los Angeles Clippers fell 114-110 to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday at the Intuit Dome, dropping their fourth straight game and extending a seven-game home skid.
Cooper Flagg led Dallas with a season-high 35 points and eight rebounds, going 13-for-22 from the field in just his 20th career game. Klay Thompson scored 17 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, hitting four 3-pointers to secure the Mavericks’ lead with 1:51 remaining.
The Clippers saw strong performances from Kawhi Leonard, who scored 30 points with eight rebounds, and James Harden, who recorded 29 points, 11 assists, and eight boards. John Collins added 21 points, and Ivica Zubac posted 19 points and 11 rebounds, but Los Angeles could not overcome Dallas’ late surge.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue highlighted turnovers and defensive lapses as key issues. “18 turnovers I thought was huge. You can’t turn the basketball over because we can’t get back in transition and get set,” Lue said. “Our point-of-attack defense, especially in the first half, really hurt us. They got wherever they wanted one-on-one.”
Lue also addressed the challenges posed by Dallas’ rotation and Flagg’s breakout performance. “We didn’t finish a rotation… gave him a corner three, then another three. He just made some tough ones,” he said. “We had the game where we wanted it to be, and then Klay got going.”
The coach praised Kawhi Leonard’s defensive adjustments late in the game. “We gave him too much space in the first half. In the second half, when he spun, somebody was there to protect, and we did that better,” Lue explained.
Despite the loss, Lue emphasized that he still believes in his team’s potential. “I still feel okay. We got to stay with it, got to play better,” he said. When asked about whether there is a next step if players don’t improve, Lue admitted, “Yeah, we’ll keep trying, but there’s no next step right now.”
Dallas’ win was fueled by forcing 18 Clippers turnovers and converting them into 20 points. Naji Marshall added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Brandon Williams contributed 14 points and seven assists. The Mavericks improved to 6-15, while the Clippers dropped to 5-15.
Los Angeles briefly regained the lead at 103-101 on a John Collins 3-pointer, but Thompson’s immediate response and Flagg’s late free throws sealed the game for the Mavericks.
The Clippers will look to bounce back on Monday against the Miami Heat, while the Mavericks travel to face the Denver Nuggets.
