One Big Problem With Mavs in Town

Beaten soundly by the San Antonio Spurs in the first of a three-game homestand, the Clippers now get an even higher-ranking team in the West, the Dallas Mavericks tonight at Staples Center.

The Mavs have run up big numbers on the Clippers in recent seasons, sweeping them, 4-0, in 2000-2001 while averaging 102 points, then getting 133 in this season’s first meeting here, while making 11 of 21 three-point attempts.

However, in an upset, the Clippers then went to Dallas three days later and beat the Mavs, 117-100.

The problem matchup for the Clippers is 7-footer Dirk Nowitzki, who handles the ball like a little man, goes all over and makes threes. The ideal Clipper to defend him would be 6-11 Lamar Odom, who is just as mobile but now has his right wrist and right ankle in soft casts and is out 2-4 weeks.

“When we beat Minnesota, Lamar guarded [6-11] Kevin Garnett,” Coach Alvin Gentry said Friday. “I don’t like to use it as a crutch but the bottom line is, we lose one of the most versatile players in the NBA when Lamar’s not there. But there’s a lot of teams missing good players.”

Thursday’s sellout crowd for the Spurs’ game was the Clippers’ 12th of the season, breaking last season’s franchise record. This game is also expected to sell out.

Randy Winn, the fan who hit a half-court shot at halftime of the Clippers’ game against Cleveland on Jan. 18, was awarded his prize Thursday night, a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer.

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TONIGHT

vs. Dallas, 7:30

Fox Sports Net 2

Site--Staples Center.

Records--Clippers 25-27, Dallas 36-15.

Record vs. opponent--1-1.

Radio--KXTA (1150)

Update--The Mavs are coming out of the All-Star break on a three-game trip, having won in Seattle and lost in Portland. The league’s highest scoring team at 105 points a game, the Mavs are even hotter now, having averaged 106 in January and 112 this month.

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Mark Heisler