LA the Clippers (35-36) beat Dallas Mavericks (23-48) 138-131 on the road on Saturday, March 21 in overtime.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Mavericks had the better start, winning the first 42-32 to lead by 10 after one. The Clippers cut into the deficit with a 31-30 second quarter, though the Mavericks still led by 9 at halftime.
The Clippers won the third 37-27 to turn the game around, taking a 1-point lead into the fourth. The Mavericks answered with a 23-22 fourth quarter, forcing overtime at 122.
The Clippers finally separated the teams in overtime, winning it 16-9 to close out a 138-131 victory.
What decided it
The Clippers got more from their shots, finishing at 68.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 53.4% for the Mavericks. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Mavericks did win one battle, second chances: ORB% of 33.3% against 16.7%. The Clippers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 105 possessions per team, the Clippers produced 131 points per 100 possessions to 124.4 for the Mavericks.
Who stepped up
Darius Garland was the game's biggest individual force for LAC: 41 pts, 3 reb, 11 ast on 15-24 shooting. His Game Score of 36.9 led everyone. His team was +9 with him on the floor.
Cooper Flagg led the Mavericks with 18 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast, 4 blk on 6-16 shooting, good for a 18.6 Game Score.
Cooper Flagg (18 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast) and Darius Garland (41 pts, 3 reb, 11 ast) each recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 60% for the Clippers.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, LA the Clippers lead 4-2.
The Clippers are now 35-36, and the Mavericks are 23-48. The Clippers last five before this game: W-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.