In a very entertaining matchup of two of the top teams in the Western Conference, late defensive execution helped seal the game for the Dallas Mavericks. That, and a little help from Blake Griffin led Dallas to a grind-it-out 96-92 win.
The high flying Los Angeles Clippers and former Maverick Caron Butler returned to the American Airlines Center to set the stage to an epic ending to what may be a potential preview of the playoffs.
Brendan Haywood set the tone for the team early in the first quarter scoring 10 points in a matter of minutes. “Early on my teammates were looking for me...they just told me to be available and take advantage of my opportunity and I did that”, Haywood said. He cooled down considerably finishing with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
For most of the first half the Mavs kept the Clippers in check defensively. Chris Paul was limited to only five points by the end of the second quarter.
By halftime the Mavs led by eight points, the fourth quarter though was where the real drama unfolded.
Not known for his free throw shooting, Blake Griffin missed what would have been crucial points going down the stretch for the Clippers. He was 2-9 at the charity stripe, and at one point went a miserable 0-7 shooting free throws.
Hitting a clutch shot with 41.4 seconds left in the fourth, Dirk Nowitzki extended the Dallas lead 92-89. He scored 11 of his 22 points in the final quarter.
After two more free throws by Nowitzki the Mavs led 94-89 but the Clippers still had hope after Chris Paul hit a 26-foot 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining, closing the lead to two points. For the game Paul finished with 16 points and 9 assists.
Following a Dallas timeout Paul stole the inbounds pass after an erratic mistake by Jason Kidd with 12.9 remaining. With a quick pass from Paul, Caron Butler missed the go ahead three pointer with three seconds left in regulation.
Delonte West closed the deal with two big free throws putting Dallas on top for good.
This was the fourth win in a row for the Mavs, Wednesday night they will play host to the Denver Nuggets, that game is set to tip off at 7:30pm.
Game Notes:
Caron Butler received his championship ring in a pre-game ceremony. Although he was injured for most of the regular and post season Butler played an integral role in motivating players during their playoff run last year.
