Norman Powell’s 28 points not enough to save Clippers from loss to Mavericks

DALLAS —  Quentin Grimes scored 20 points off the bench, 14 in the fourth quarter, leading eight Mavericks in double figures as Dallas beat the Clippers 113-97 on Saturday night despite missing leading scorer Luka Doncic.

Doncic, fifth in the NBA with 28.9 points per game, missed his second consecutive game with a left heel contusion.

Klay Thompson scored 16 points, and Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie had 15 each.

Clippers

Clippers give short-handed Mavericks their worst loss of season

Norman Powell scores 29 points as Clippers defeat Dallas, which was without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

Dec. 19, 2024

Irving, Dallas’ second-leading scorer who averages 23.9 points, missed the previous game with a sore shoulder.

During one stretch midway through the final period, Grimes hit consecutive three-pointers and was then fouled behind the arc on Dallas’ next shot and hit all three free throws.

Norman Powell scored 28 points for the Clippers, who split a two-game series at Dallas. James Harden and Kevin Porter Jr. each added 19.

The Mavericks outscored the Clippers 31-18 in the second period to lead 54-40 at halftime, outshooting them 47.8% to 22.2%.

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Takeaways

Clippers: Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 15 rebounds for his 19th double-double. Harden passed Tim Duncan to move into 16th place in NBA career scoring with 26,503 points.

Mavericks: Dereck Lively II had 11 points and 11 rebounds as Dallas improved to 6-2 without Doncic.

Key moment: Irving was one of 10 before hitting a second-chance three with 1:07 to play in the first half. From that point, he shot five of 15 with two three-pointers.

Key stat: The Mavericks led in bench points 46-24 paced by Grimes, Daniel Gafford with 13 and Naji Marshall with 12.

Up next: The Clippers will finish a three-game road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. The Mavericks will host the Portland Trail Blazers in the third game of a four-game homestand.