LA the Clippers (41-38) beat Dallas Mavericks (25-54) 116-103 at home on Tuesday, April 7, never trailing at a quarter break.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Clippers struck first, taking the opening quarter 39-26 and a 13-point lead after one. The Mavericks cut into the deficit with a 29-26 second quarter, though the Clippers still led by 10 at halftime.
The Mavericks won the third 29-24 to stay in front, taking a 5-point lead into the fourth. The Clippers took the fourth 27-19; the Clippers finished the job for a 116-103 regulation win.
What decided it
The Clippers got more from their shots, finishing at 52.7% effective field-goal shooting compared with 38% for the Mavericks. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Mavericks did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 7.6 against 13.3. The Clippers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 105 possessions per team, the Clippers produced 110.1 points per 100 possessions to 97.8 for the Mavericks.
The Clippers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 37-22.
Who made the difference
Kawhi Leonard was the game's biggest individual force for LAC: 34 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast on 11-19 shooting. His Game Score of 25.6 led everyone. His team was +11 with him on the floor.
Marvin Bagley III led the Mavericks with 21 pts, 9 reb, 1 ast on 8-11 shooting, good for a 23.1 Game Score.
Derrick Jones Jr. (11 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Clippers about a 86% chance.
Across the last 7 meetings in our records, LA the Clippers lead 5-2.
The Clippers are now 41-38, and the Mavericks are 25-54. The Clippers last five before this game: W-W-L-L-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.