The Los Angeles Clippers will continue their pursuit of a top-sex place in the Western conference when they meet Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night in Ingrlewood, California, for the other night in a row.
Clippers (45-32) got an impressive victory 114-91 over Mavericks on Friday to win for the 13th time in the last 16 games. A second victory on two nights over Dallas (38-40) may come up with a further challenge if Los Angeles chooses to sit Kawhi Leonard.
Since making his season debut on January 4 after recovering from knee problems, Leonard has not yet played on consecutive nights. Clippers will decide on Leonard’s availability at the beginning of Saturday.
Leonard scored 20 minutes for Clippers on Friday, while Ivica Zubac had 14 points with 13 returns for her 20th double down in their last 21 games. Leonard delivered his 11th match in a row with at least 20 points.
Six clippers got at least 12 points, but as welcome as it was to have an offensive balance, it is the defense that has Los Angeles that looks like a formidable playoffs. Clippers entered Friday’s fourth in the NBA with an average of 108 points permitted per competition.
“We have talked to them all year to keep each other responsible, talk, communicate,” said Clippers coach Tyronn Lue about the defense. “They’ve done a good job with it too late, just talked through (broken) coverage.”
Home victory has started mounting with frequency. Los Angeles opened its new arena in October and lost the first four games there. They have gone 27-7 there since and have won 10 of the last 11 on their own floor.
“Once we turned to the new arena, the surroundings, the building and everything, I thought we have played pretty well at home,” Lue said Friday. “Our fans have been incredible. … we just have to keep going.”
Maverick’s loss on Friday came with Anthony Davis out for injury management on his adductor tribe, while Dereck Lively II (ankle) also set out as a precaution. In addition, Kyy Thompson went in the middle of the game with a disease.
Naji Marshall scored 22 points for Mavericks, while Spencer Dinwiddie added 18. Jaden Hardy scored 16 points, while PJ Washington had 10 returns. Hardy’s availability for Saturday is in doubt after he injured his right ankle.
Kai Jones, who was lifted by Clippers on March 1 and signed with Maverick’s two days later, scored nine points against his former team in 22 minutes.
Dallas has four matches left in his attempt to finish a place in the Play-in tournament with games against the Western Conference Posteason Qualifiers in Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies.
The ninth place Dallas dropped the ground towards 10th place Sacramento Kings, which won Friday. Mavericks is only half a game up on the kings, with Phoenix Suns just below the Play-in line, two matches behind Sacramento.
“Right now we are not worried about Play-in (tournament),” said Mav’s coach Jason Kidd. “We are worried about the mowers.”
Davis is considered an “opportunity” to play Saturday, Kidd said.
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