Mavs Beat Clippers To Improve NBA-Best Road Record
LOS ANGELES (AP) - So much for Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd trying to call it an early night with the Lakers awaiting. The Los Angeles Clippers wouldn't allow it.
Both of Dallas' stars were needed in the fourth quarter, when the Mavericks rallied to win 106-100 Wednesday night and improve the NBA's best road record to 27-10.
Nowitzki scored 24 points playing nearly 37 minutes, including almost all of the fourth, to beat back the scrappy Clippers. Kidd was hoping to sit out the final period, but he was needed for 2 1/2 minutes to ensure the Mavs secured their fifth straight win.
"We wanted to get some momentum going into tomorrow," Nowitzki said. "We had a good lead and didn't close the game out the way we wanted to."
The victory moved the Mavs within a half-game of the second-place Lakers in the West, with the No. 2 seed up for grabs when they play Thursday night.
"It's not the end of the world to be (No.) 3, but we're going for it," Nowitzki said.
He missed the first of two free throws midway through the period, snapping his streak of 74 in a row -- longest in the league this season -- that dated to the fourth quarter against Indiana on March 4.
Nowitzki got ample chance to make up for it, when Mo Williams was hit with consecutive technicals and ejected with 6:02 remaining and Nowitzki made both. Blake Griffin got a technical about 42 seconds earlier.
"We lost control of the game when we had all those technical fouls," Eric Gordon said. "That gave them a good run and those were free points we gave them. They just got a lot of calls."
Griffin had 25 points and 17 rebounds for his 57th double-double, and in the process set a franchise rookie record for most points in a season. He came off the bench in the fourth to erase most of the Clippers' 16-point deficit, scoring six points in an 11-0 run that left them trailing 96-91 with 3:20 left.
"It started with Jamario Moon hitting a 3. After that, they made a layup and get to the free throw line and all the sudden it's under 10," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "Then the building is into it and we had to answer. This is a good win for us."
Jose Barea answered with five straight points to push the Mavs' lead to 101-91. He finished with 22 points. Kidd had 10 assists.
"We keep pushing the tempo and keep coming. We don't panic," Kidd said.
Earlier in the fourth, Nowitzki scored six points -- four on free throws -- in the Mavs' 13-1 run that produced their first double-digit lead of the game, 96-80. Nowitzki missed another free throw in the final minute.
Gordon added 15 points and Williams scored 19 points, making all nine of his free throws for the Clippers, who've lost nine in a row and 15 of their last 16 to the Mavs. Dallas has won its last five road games against the Clippers.
Down by six with 7 seconds left, Gordon airballed a 3-point attempt.
"I just couldn't get easy baskets," he said. "They didn't let me get into the lane. When that happens, you end up with just long-range shots."
The teams traded leads in a tight third quarter. With the Clippers leading by one, the Mavs outscored them 12-6 to lead 75-70 going into the fourth. Peja Stojakovic and Brian Cardinal hit 3-pointers in the spurt.
The Clippers blew a 13-point lead in the first, when Williams scored their first nine points. Dallas tied the game at 44 late in the second and scored the final two baskets to lead 48-46 at the break.
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