Paul George, Reggie Jackson lead Clippers past Luka-less Mavericks

Paul George and Reggie Jackson led the Clippers to a 97-91 win over the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center on Sunday, ending a two-game losing streak for the Clippers.

George’s 29 points and Jackson’s 23 handed the Mavericks a third straight loss without star guard Luka Doncic, who has knee and ankle sprains. Clippers center Ivica Zubac contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds, while reserve center Serge Ibaka was in the lineup for the first time since Nov. 9. He had six points and four rebounds in 25 minutes.

Sunday’s matinee got off to a ragged start as the teams combined to make just one of 10 shots.

The Mavericks (9-7) had just lost back-to-back games at Phoenix. The Clippers (10-7) were coming off a grueling five-game, seven-day stretch that concluded with back-to-back losses at Memphis and New Orleans.

A late spark from Jackson fueled the Clippers at the end of the first half after the guard swished a three-pointer from the wing with 1:44 remaining. He missed his first four shots of the game and was two for 11 against the Pelicans. Seeing the ball snap through the net on his first three-pointer Sunday, Jackson left his arm extended an extra moment as fans cheered.

The shot started an eight-point personal run from the guard and pulled the Clippers to within one at halftime after trailing by as many as nine in the second quarter.

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Jackson’s jolt of energy carried over to the third quarter when the Clippers made seven of their first eight shots and opened a 10-point lead. George scored 12 points in the quarter while Jackson had seven.

After scoring 15 points in the first half, Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis was held to four in the second before arriving late in the fourth. Porzingis, who finished with 25 points and eight rebounds, twice cut the Clippers’ 12-point lead to three in the final minutes. Each time George answered, first with a coast-to-coast dunk, then with a midrange pullup with 1:03 remaining.

Just one game after getting back in the lineup, Nicolas Batum (Achilles soreness) was sidelined again after entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Amir Coffey started in Batum’s place and had three points and five rebounds in 25 minutes with a game-high plus-21 in the plus/minus rating.

Batum is averaging 9.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 43.8% from three-point range. The 14-year veteran, whose value to the team goes far beyond the stat sheet, could be out for 10 days but may return sooner if he tests negative for the coronavirus two consecutive times with samples taken 24 hours apart.

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