Mavs Game Preview: Game 27 vs Clippers

Familiar foe, familiar setup, and an opportunity to start a new win streak

Photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

The Mavericks find themselves in another game with a playoff-like feel in December. After a prolonged rest (and hence, a longer preview), they’ll face the Los Angeles Clippers in a baseball-style home-and-home series tomorrow and Saturday. It’s an opponent and setup Dallas knows well, having defeated the Clippers 4-2 in a competitive first-round matchup last May.

This time, however, the stars on the court will look a bit different. Luka Dončić is ruled out for the game due to a left heel contusion that has also kept him out of practice for the past two days. On the other side, Kawhi Leonard, like in the playoffs, is out again. Additionally, the second part of the three-star LA trio, Paul George, has departed, joining forces with Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. That leaves James Harden as the lone remaining star to carry the Clippers' hopes in this matchup.

Dallas, coming off a win in San Francisco, has a chance to start a new winning streak with back-to-back home games against the Clippers, followed by two more home matchups against Portland and Minnesota on Christmas.

The Clippers shouldn’t be taken lightly—they’ve quietly been flying under the radar, building a scrappy and competitive team that has exceeded expectations with a 15-12 record, even without Leonard. However, they’re also not a team the Mavericks, even without Dončić, should fear. Los Angeles is just 6-11 against teams with a .500 record or better, with most of their wins coming against weaker opponents (9-1 against teams below .500).

---

Mavs (17-9) vs Clippers (15-12) game facts

Rest: DAL on 3 days of rest; LAC on 2 days of rest

DAL vs LAC 2023-24 record: 1-2 (regular season), 4-2 (playoffs)

DAL 2024-25 home record: 8-3

LAC 2024-25 away record: 5-6

DAL injuries: Luka Dončić (OUT), Jaden Hardy (OUT), Maxi Kleber (OUT), Dante Exum (OUT), Kyrie Irving (questionable)

LAC injuries: Kawhi Leonard (OUT), Terance Mann (OUT), P.J. Tucker (OUT), Kobe Brown (OUT), Derrick Jones Jr. (questionable)

LAC projected starting 5: James Harden (G), Kris Dunn (G), Norman Powell (F), Derrick Jones Jr. (questionable) or Amir Coffey (F), Ivica Zubac (F)

LAC key reserves: Kevin Porter Jr., Nicolas Batum, Bones Hyland, Jordan Miller, Mo Bamba

LAC Rotation:

---

Three key questions heading into the game

1. Will the Mavericks defense lock down another limited offensive team?

2. Will Dinwiddie and Marshall step up once again to fill the playmaking void?

3. Can Lively and Gafford tag-team to contain Zubac on the block and on the boards?

Mavs on offense | Clippers on defense

The Clippers have built their success and identity this season on a stingy, physical defense that currently ranks 7th in the NBA. They have a solid defensive anchor in Zubac, surrounded by multiple wing defenders who can pressure the ball and disrupt driving and passing lanes with their length (7th in opponent turnover rate). This group includes Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr. (questionable), Amir Coffey, and Terance Mann (OUT).

Dunn is their best defender and a key difference-maker on defense—the Clippers allow 13.8 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. Especially if Jones Jr. is unavailable, Dunn will likely take on the role of the designated Kyrie Irving stopper. Dunn's key weakness—or a byproduct of his aggressive defense—has been excessive fouling throughout his career. While Irving isn’t a player known for drawing a lot of fouls, exploiting Dunn’s aggressiveness against him will be crucial in this matchup. The Clippers typically play drop coverage with their bigs, Zubac and Bamba, while switching everything else, 1 through 4. However, with the extra rest days to prepare, it wouldn’t be surprising if Tyronn Lue pulls out some of his playoff tricks—like the trapping schemes and box-and-one zone he deployed against Irving when Dončić was off the floor.