The Los Angeles Clippers hope to make it three straight wins in the preseason when they host their age-old rivals, the Dallas Mavericks, in their first game at their brand-new, state-of-the-art home arena, the Intuit Dome.
After falling short to the Golden State Warriors in their first preseason match, 91-90, in a game held in Hawaii, the Clippers have picked up the slack lately. The team has won two in a row, defeating the Brooklyn Nets, 115-106, at the Frontwave Arena before edging the Portland Trail Blazers, 101-99, at the Climate Pledge Arena. The victory against Portland came down to the wire with a game-winning alley-oop slam from Kai Jones, with only two seconds left in the game sealing the Clips’ victory.
The Clippers and the Mavs are familiar with one another, thanks to their numerous postseason showdowns in the last few seasons. The Clippers took down the Mavs in their first-round clashes in 2020 and 2021. However, Dallas paid LA back this past season, booting the Clippers out of the first round, 4-2.
So far, Dallas hasn’t found success this preseason, losing their first two games to Memphis and Utah. The silver lining to their last loss was Klay Thompson making his Mavericks’ debut with 10 points and three assists. One-half of the famous “Splash Brothers” with Golden State superstar Steph Curry, Klay departed the Bay Area this offseason, opting for a fresh start with the Mavericks.
For the Clippers, it remains to be seen if Norman Powell will suit up after missing the last game against Portland. Derrick Jones Jr., Terance Mann, Ivica Zubac, and James Harden appear to be locked in the starting lineup. The other spot is left open with Kawhi Leonard still recovering from the knee procedure he underwent this offseason.
