Jackson gives late boost to beat Doncic, Mavericks
One more time – with feeling.
In their second meeting in three days with the Dallas Mavericks, and their fourth and final clash of the regular-season, the Clippers got more physical on defense and on the boards. That, and a late-fourthquarter flourish from Reggie Jackson to push them over the top, allowing them to wrestle a 99-97 win away from the Luka Doncic and his Dallas Mavericks.
Jackson scored eight of his 24 points in the final 2:08 to help nail the lid on and diffuse Doncic's lategame detonation.
After scoring 28 of his 51 points in the first quarter to key the Mavericks' win against the Clippers on Thursday, Doncic poured in 23 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter Saturday, including lodging his team's final 19 points before his last-gasp 3-pointer – a 33-footer over the outstretched arms of Jackson and Marcus Morris Sr. – drifted left.
Doncic also had 15 rebounds and eight assists before 20,028 fans Saturday at American Airlines Center, becoming the first player since Wilt Chamberlain scored 47 and then 53 points against Seattle n December 1967 to record 96 or more points over a two-game span against the same opponent.
But the Clippers didn't care. They got what they wanted.
Said coach Tyronn Lue, on Zoom: “I just want to win, I don't care if he had 90 – know what I'm sayin'?”
“He could have 40, he could have 60, he could have 50, we're here trying to win,” said Terance Mann, recounting the Clippers' strategy to letting Doncic get his but not to let him get his teammates going.
“That's the game plan, and I feel like it worked the other night, we came back and gave ourselves a chance to try to win the other game and it worked tonight, we won the game.”
Jackson answered two of Doncic's four 3-pointers in the final period with driving buckets, the second drawing a foul. Jackson missed the free throw, but Mann tipped the rebound back out to Jackson for a straightaway 3 and a 97-89 lead with 1:15 left.
Clippers guard Reggie Jackson celebrates after a 3-pointer against Dallas on Saturday.
After Doncic's layup with 8 seconds to go pulled the Mavericks within one, Jackson got the inbound pass and succeeded in playing keep-away, running the clock down to 3.4 seconds before Jalen Brunson could catch him to foul him and stop the clock. Jackson made one of two free throws, and Doncic's shot from near midcourt missed wide.
Welcoming his newly ascribed extra ball-handling duties, Mann started in place of Norman Powell (turf toe) and helped with that, scoring a season-high 21 points. (It was his first game of 20 or more points since he launched the Clippers into the Western Conference finals with his 39-point effort against Utah in Game 6 of their second-round series last playoffs.)
And Ivica Zubac – the Clippers' 7-foot starting center who's been cooked many a time by Doncic in the past – welcomed the all but impossible mission of serving as the primary defender on Dallas' 22-year-old superstar at the outset.
“He's got some sore … ankles tomorrow,” said Morris, who chipped in with 20 points. “To be able to get out there and guard and actually take the challenge,
I don't know if there's an- other 7-footer in the league doing that. Two games in a row, actually taking the challenge and big shot after big shot and still wanting that challenge? That's big ups for big fella.”
The Clippers' big fella also had a big night with his 14th double-double; Zubac finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with a season-high six assists.
As a team, the Clippers collected 42 rebounds . And although they gave up 13 offensive boards, Lue was pleased with his team's renewed toughness.
“We made a conscious effort of really turning, trying to hit bodies,” he said. “They were bigger in some positions and probably a little stronger in some positions, as well. I thought we really paid attention to details, but a lot of times we just couldn't come up with it. That's a start, just seeking out a body, hitting first and then rebound the ball. We just got to continue to keep working and build on it.”
It helped the Clippers avoid their first four-game losing skid of the season. They also snapped the host Mavs four-game winning streak.
THE SCORE CLIPPERS 99, MAVERICKS 97
Up next: Warriors at Clippers, Monday, 7:30p.m., BSSC