Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) hangs from the rim after slam-dunking against Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Quentin Grimes scored 20 points off the bench, 14 in the fourth quarter, leading eight Mavericks in double figures as Dallas beat the Los Angeles 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 apiece.
Irving, Dallas’ second-leading scorer who averages 23.9 points, missed the previous game with a sore shoulder.
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During one stretch midway through the final period, Grimes hit consecutive 3-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 1 of 10 and 0 of 3 on 3-pointers before hitting a second-chance 3 with 1:07 to play in the first half. From that point, he shot 5 of 15 with two 3-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.
