– Not to worry, Clippers fans, the law of averages says they absolutely must lose a game now and then. The Clippers had won 17 of their past 19 games, some in dramatic fashion. They can’t do it every night. Doesn’t work that way. Coach Doc Rivers said he wasn’t worried about it, and neither should the fans be concerned over one home loss. At 31-6, they still have one of the best home records in the league. That said, down 12 with three minutes left, the Clippers scared the heck out of Dallas by getting within two points with more than a minute left before the Mavericks escaped with the win.
– It was good to see guard J.J. Redick back playing exactly two months since he had last played Feb. 3, no thanks to a bulging disc in his back. Rivers said before the game he’d play Redick about 20 minutes or so, and Redick played 24 minutes and scored 12 points. He made just 3 of 10 from the field, but that’s to be expected after so much time off. He appeared healthy, which is the best thing of all.
– Blake Griffin has become a terrific passer. He had 11 assists in the game, a number more expected of Chris Paul, who had nine. The recipient of some of Griffin’s assists was DeAndre Jordan, who said thank you very much and slammed a few home.
– It’s a bummer that Jamal Crawford missed his third consecutive game because of that pesky injured calf. He was seen before the game and though he wasn’t noticeably limping, he didn’t seem to be walking with confidence, either. The Clippers will really need him for the playoffs because you don’t just replace 18.6 points per game, Crawford’s average.
– The worst thing a coach can do is play the diplomat after a loss because that doesn’t help his players a bit. Rivers said in the post-game news conference that his team played poorly on defense. And he’s right. There were way too many open looks, thus the Mavericks’ 48.3 percentage (14 of 29) from 3-point range. Right there is where the game was decided. The Clippers made just 6 of 27 from beyond the arc for 22.7 percent.
Next up, the Lakers on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
