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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Los Angeles Clippers aren't the only team
that's made a dramatic turnaround. So have the Dallas Mavericks,
who still have the Clippers' number.
|  | | The Mavs' Michael Finley is caught carrying the ball as the Clippers' Corey Maggette applies pressure. |
Michael Finley scored six of his 23 points in the final 3:51 as
the Mavericks ended the Clippers' season-high four-game winning
streak with a 103-92 victory Monday night.
"When you talk about the Dallas Mavericks, I don't even think
you can really talk about the past because they've got a whole
different program over there," Clippers forward Lamar Odom said.
"I don't know how long Mark Cuban has been the owner, but he's
gone out and made a conscious effort to make his team better. And
you can see the results. They just got a guy with a $105 million
contract to make their team better."
Juwan Howard, playing his second game with Dallas following
Thursday's eight-player trade with Washington, had 15 points. Steve
Nash had 10 points and 11 assists, and Dirk Nowitzki scored 12 of
his 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Mavericks beat the
Clippers for the 10th straight time.
"I'll tell you what, the days of beating up the Clippers are
over," Dallas coach Don Nelson said. "They are a much-improved
team.
"I give a lot of the credit to Alvin Gentry. He's done a
marvelous job with this team -- getting them from where they were
very disorganized, to where they're really running great stuff and
playing together. They are fun to watch. I was really worried about
this game."
Odom had 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the
Clippers, who have not beaten Dallas since March 29, 1998, in Los
Angeles.
The Clippers and Mavericks were an identical 28-for-57 from the
field through the first three quarters, but Dallas led 76-70. The
Mavericks blew the game open with an 11-2 spurt, capped by a
Howard Eisley 3-pointer that put Dallas ahead 91-76 with 5:43 to
play. The Clippers got no closer than nine.
"We've all enjoyed some success here recently, and it's
great," Nash said. "When we all got here, the franchise was in
disarray. And now we've all been part of a revival, and it's
exciting. The Clippers are in the same situation. They're just a
little farther back than we are at this point."
Los Angeles opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer by Jeff
McInnis, a driving layup by Eric Piatkowski and a short jumper by
Corey Maggette to pull ahead 57-54 and cap a 20-6 run.
The Mavericks went back in front, 60-59, with two free throws by
Nash, after referee Joe Crawford gave technical fouls to Odom and
Maggette 16 seconds apart for arguing possession calls at both ends
of the court.
Coming off an emotional double-overtime victory Saturday night
over Portland -- one in which they blew an 18-point lead in the
fourth quarter -- the Clippers surrendered more than 30 points in a
first quarter for only the second time this season.
Finley's 11 points powered the Mavericks to a 34-27 lead, and
they extended their biggest margin of the first half to 11 on
Howard's jumper with 5:06 left in the second quarter. Odom, who had
13 points and seven rebounds in the half, hit a running jumper from
the foul line just before the buzzer.
Game notes
A number of people in the crowd of 13,521 mistook Staples
Center publicity director Michael Roth for Cuban, who chatted
briefly with his look-alike during a timeout in the first quarter.
... The only team with a longer current winning streak against the
Clippers is San Antonio (12 games). Miami has beaten them nine
straight times and Utah eight straight.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Dallas Clubhouse
LA Clippers Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 85
Seattle 82
Charlotte 82
Indiana 72
Milwaukee 98
Philadelphia 91
Golden State 84
Chicago 78
Portland 95
Houston 89
Orlando 93
Denver 86
Utah 99
Atlanta 82
Dallas 103
LA Clippers 92
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Steve Nash finds Greg Buckner under the basket for an easy hoop.
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