Clippers Slowed by Mavericks

There were flashes of brilliance in the first quarter and flashes of a return to form in the fourth, but in the end there was too much Clipper smoldering to beat a team needing someone to light a match under them.

Mostly, Dallas smoked the Clippers. With motivation of avoiding a fourth consecutive home loss serving as the spark, the Mavericks, suffering through injury problems of their own, won, 107-88, Wednesday night at Reunion Arena. Rolando Blackman scored 30 points, reaching that plateau for the fifth time in eight games, and pseudo power forward Alex English added 17.

It could have been worse had the Clippers not put together a 17-0 run in the first quarter, turning an 11-2 deficit into a 19-11 lead as Dallas went scoreless for a stretch of 6:09. But what seemed so impressive, not to mention encouraging, mattered little in the end.

The Mavericks, who have gone from playoff probables to hopefuls with injuries that will keep Roy Tarpley out the rest of the season and Fat Lever sidelined at least another few weeks, adjusted. They quickly regrouped and cooled the Clipper offense.

“We had to react to it because we would have kept on sliding at home,” said Blackman, who is averaging 27.3 points and shooting 56.1% the past eight outings. “We were already battered, and that (the Clipper run) was like one of those punches across the chin. We were staggering a little, but were we going to drop? It took some resolve.”

The main adjustment was denying quick baskets to the Clippers, who came in having shot 51.9% and 53.3% in the previous two games. Seven of the eight field goals that accounted for the majority of the early run came on first shots.

“Usually, there was one shot available, and that was a 15-footer with no one on them,” Blackman said. “Once we slowed them down, it was a different basketball game. They’re especially good when they run.”

Dallas grabbed control from there, taking a four-point lead, 48-44, by halftime and pushing that to 12, 75-63, at the end of the third quarter. The Mavericks’ biggest margin was 19, the final score.

Forced back into a more pedestrian pace, the Clippers struggled, finishing at 38.8% in their ninth consecutive road loss dating to last season.

“We’ve done that before in spurts,” said Charles Smith, who led the Clippers with 24 points and nine rebounds. “But the biggest thing is that we’ve got to keep it going.

“I thought Dallas played very well, but I think a lot of it is on us. I missed a lot of tough shots, crucial shots, too. Everyone was in and out all night long.”

The final flicker came from Danny Manning, not the most likely of sources these days. The still-recovering forward showed a glimpse of what he can provide when 100%.

For now, Manning scored all the Clippers’ points in an 8-2 rally--a runner on the right side, a couple of free throws, a turnaround jumper on the right baseline, a layin after driving the lane. That was the best of his 14 points in 18 minutes, but, more important, also his best stretch since coming off the injured list three games ago.

Then he went out. Even as the doctor-imposed time limit to avoid a return of tendinitis was increased from 15 to 20 minutes for this and at least one more game, the clock remains his ball and chain.

“That’s frustrating,” he said. “I’ve got to get back in shape, got to get my timing back. I’m missing shots I am accustomed to making. In time, it’ll get better.”

Clipper Notes

Loy Vaught continues to impress in the exact the role the Clippers drafted him for: rebounder off the bench. The 6-9, 240-pounder had eight in 19 minutes Wednesday, one short of the team high, and this after reaching double figures as a reserve in three of the previous four games. “I pursue every ball,” Vaught said. “When you do that, you stack the odds in your favor. A lot of guys will only go after balls they think they can get.” . . . One game after establishing a season high with 25 turnovers at Houston, the Clippers bounced back with a season-low 12 against Dallas. . . . Rolando Blackman became the Mavericks’ all-time leading scorer. A second-quarter basket gave him 13,931 points, one better than Mark Aguirre.