Clipper Losing Streak Reaches 10

Losing 10 games in a row can make any team look as if it has fallen apart.

So it’s no wonder the Clippers were grasping for explanations for their current streak after Thursday night’s 99-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks at Reunion Arena.

The crowd was announced at 11,927, but there were thousands fewer in attendance because of bad weather.

The Clippers (10-32) received a career scoring game from Derek Anderson with 35 points, but they did not help themselves by shooting 40.3% and turning the ball over 21 times.

In losing for the 14th time in 15 games, the Clippers return to Los Angeles having lost 10 in a row on the road.

“I don’t have anything to say, you’ve probably heard everything already,” Anderson said. “Nothing has changed since the last time. It’s the same as it was after the eighth loss, after the seventh loss . . . “

Dallas (16-26) shot 47.1% from the floor, finished with five players scoring in double figures and scored 23 points off of turnovers by the Clippers.

Forward Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 24 points. Shooting guard Michael Finley finished with 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Dallas, which has won six of its last eight games, had trouble with the Clippers early. With Anderson scoring 12 points, the Clippers led nearly the entire first quarter and took a 28-23 lead into the second.

The Clippers, however, forgot how to play defense in the next period and the Mavericks used a 13-0 run to take control. Dallas outscored the Clippers, 33-21, in the quarter.

“We just have to come out and let those teams know that they just don’t have a chance here,” Nowitzki said. “We got to get on a roll if we want to get back into the playoff picture.”

The Mavericks in the playoffs? They’re currently in the 10th spot in the Western Conference, but they get to play the Clippers three more times this season and have not lost to them since March 29, 1998.

The Clippers tried to get back into the game in the second half, but each rally was slowed by poor play on the defensive end, where Dallas scored many of its baskets without much trouble.

The closest the Clippers could get was 88-84 when Anderson made a jumper with 5:24 remaining. After that, the Clippers did what they do best and that’s force bad shots, play weak defense and leave the floor with another defeat.

After the game, the Clippers searched for answers on what has gone wrong with their season.

“It’s getting redundant,”forward Maurice Taylor said. “We say the same things after every game. Until guys want to win we’re not going to win, it’s as simple as that.

“It’s obvious we have to play better together. We keep talking about it, but we haven’t done it.”

Forward Tyrone Nesby, who came off the bench to score eight points, believes it is up to the players to turn it around, not Coach Chris Ford.

“We talk about getting movement, passing the ball and getting everybody involved,” Nesby said. “But at the same time, we don’t do that. We go out and make one pass, one shot.

“Coach preaches to us every day about it. It’s up to the players to finally come up and do something.”

Rookie Lamar Odom finished with his 13th double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. But Odom had only five points in the second half and he’s having a hard time dealing with each Clipper loss.

“If you watch the best teams in the NBA, they sacrifice for each other on the defensive end,” Odom said. “When one guy gets beat and another has to step up, they rotate. Right now, we don’t have none of that.

“It seems like we’re playing and then when we look up, we’re down by 10. . . . Anyone who watches us knows that it is more than one thing. You just can’t sit there and say we’re losing because we’re not playing good ‘D.’ It’s more than that. It’s all little things and in the NBA, little things add up to big things and that’s what is happening right now.”