Clippers force their will on NBA-worst Mavericks in 124-104 rout

The team with the NBA’s best record and the one with the league’s worst offering collided Wednesday night, and it was a predictable outcome.

With all their might, the Clippers barreled over the Dallas Mavericks, 124-104, at American Airlines Center.

In winning their fourth consecutive game, the Clippers improved to a league-best 14-2 and pushed the Mavericks to a league-worst 2-12 record that includes a seven-game losing streak.

The Clippers put the game out of reach with a 20-4 run to end the second quarter, extending their lead to 68-45 at the half and going up by as much as 31 points.

It could have been more if DeAndre Jordan had not missed a layup just before the buzzer sounded to end the second quarter.

Nevertheless, seven Clippers scored in double figures. They also shot down the Mavericks in the process, shooting 46.9% from the three-point line, 50.6% from the field.

“We play hard every night,” Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said.

“We believe that we can get a lot better, and I think that’s driving us. And we believe that we can be special. I think those are the things that are driving us.”

Chris Paul led the Clippers with 18 points on six-for-10 shooting, two-for-four on three-pointers. Austin Rivers had it going early and late, scoring a season-high 22 points. He made seven of his 11 shots, six of his seven three-pointers.

Perhaps the only time the Clippers saw much will out of the punchless Mavericks was in the third quarter, when center Andre Bogut fouled Chris Paul hard, sending him tumbling to the floor.

Paul bounced off the court upset, yelling at Bogut for what he considered a cheap shot, and that was with the Clippers leading by 29 points at the moment with eight minutes, 54 seconds left in the third.

After the referees looked at a review, they determined that Bogut had committed a flagrant foul.

This is a Mavericks team that has been wobbly all season because of injuries.

Aging star Dirk Nowitzki (strained right Achilles’ tendon) had missed the last eight games and Bogut (sore right calf) had missed his last game, but both were back.

It was up to Harrison Barnes and guard Wesley Matthews to provide the offense for the Mavericks. Barnes was capable with 22 points, Matthews had 18 points and Nowitzki 10.

But that wasn’t enough to stop the Clippers for winning the first game of a six-game trip.

So for all of the Clippers who are Cowboys fans and were planning to go to the Dallas-Washington Redskins game Thursday, Thanksgiving Day had just gotten better.

They will depart Dallas after the football game to en route to Detroit for Friday night’s game against the Pistons feeling good about the win over the Mavericks.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter:@BA_Turner