DALLAS — Norman Powell scored 29 points, James Harden added 24 and Ivica Zubac had 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Clippers beat a short-handed Dallas Mavericks team, 118-95, on Thursday night in the Mavericks’ first game this season playing without star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Doncic sat out with a left heel contusion, Irving with right shoulder soreness, in the first of a two-game series between the teams that will conclude Saturday night.
First-year Maverick Klay Thompson scored 22 points, his first game leading the team in scoring. Spencer Didwiddie added 19 in his first start of the season.
The Clippers took a 50-49 lead into the second half and outscored the Mavericks 39-28 in the third period, hitting 69.6% (16 for 23) of their field-goal attempts while Dallas shot 40% (8 for 20) in the quarter.
After P.J. Washington’s runner pulled Dallas within 73-68 with five minutes left in the third quarter, Zubac’s dunk began a 12-1 run, during which the Mavericks missed all four field-goal attempts.
Clippers guard Kris Dunn was ejected for committing a flagrant 2 foul against Jazian Gortman late in the third period.
The Mavericks, missing a combined 52.8 points from Doncic and Irving, scored their fewest points of any game this season and suffered their most lopsided loss of the season.
TAKEAWAYS
The Clippers led in bench scoring 33-16. Harden was 10 for 10 from the free-throw line. Powell played the entire second period, scoring 10 of his team-best 12 first-half points. Zubac didn’t have a rebound during the game’s first 15 minutes.
The Mavericks shot 7 for 30 from 3-point range for season lows in 3-point shots made and percentage (23.3%). They’re 5-2 without Doncic, 1-2 without Irving.
UP NEXT
The teams meet again Saturday at 5:30 p.m. PT. The teams’ other two meetings will be a back-to-back on April 4-5 at the Intuit Dome.