Dunleavy Rated Harris Highly

Devin Harris, who helped spark the Dallas Mavericks to a 99-77 victory over the Clippers on Thursday, showed up prominently on the Clipper radar last season while earning Big Ten player of the year honors at Wisconsin.

Some pictured Harris as the Clippers’ starting point guard this season, but then the Clippers fell hard for high school star Shaun Livingston.

“I loved Harris,” Coach Mike Dunleavy said. “All year long we were going to take him, and then we saw Shaun and felt like we loved both kids. We just looked at Shaun and said, ‘You know what? He’s three or four years younger and so we’re going to go in that direction.’ But I thought Devin Harris was terrific.”

The Clippers made Livingston the fourth pick in the draft. Harris was the fifth, taken by the Washington Wizards, who traded Harris, Jerry Stackhouse and Christian Laettner to the Mavericks for Antawn Jamison.

Harris, who makes his Staples Center debut tonight when the Mavericks play the Clippers, opened the season as a starter but now backs up Jason Terry.

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Quinton Ross, starting in place of Corey Maggette because Maggette was sidelined by a sore left foot, scored 13 points and took a season-high seven rebounds in Saturday’s 88-85 loss to the New Orleans Hornets. The rookie also has been used as a defensive replacement for Maggette.

“He really knows how to play defense, knows angles,” Dunleavy said. “He’ll get better based on learning the players in the league and sets in the league, but for the most part when we grade films he and [Kerry] Kittles are always in the right place at the right time.

“Offensively, I think he’s going to develop. He has a really good medium-range jump shot and can take people off the dribble and make some plays.”

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Darrick Martin’s second 10-day contract expires after tonight’s game, at which time the Clippers must sign him through the end of the season or release him.... Dan Dickau of the Hornets, who scored 17 points in the fourth quarter Saturday, also assisted on three-point baskets by J.R. Smith and Rodney Rogers, meaning that he had a hand in each of his team’s last 23 points. “He was terrific,” Dunleavy said.

TONIGHT

vs. Dallas, 7:30, FSN West 2

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- Clippers 18-22, Mavericks 27-12.

Record vs. Mavericks -- 0-1.

Update -- The Mavericks have won their last five games and are 3-0 under Avery Johnson, who is filling in as Coach Don Nelson recuperates from rotator cuff surgery. The Clippers have lost five in a row.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2849.