The Los Angeles Clippers are getting healthy at the right time — and the Dallas Mavericks are the first team to see it. Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland are both active Saturday night after Leonard missed two games with a left ankle sprain and Garland has been working through a toe injury.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue confirmed the news before tip-off, and his message was straightforward heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
“It feels good just getting everybody healthy,” Lue said. “We’re trying to get back on track, start getting our defense and offense down with the last 12 games of the season. We’ve got to catch a rhythm, get on the same page.”
Los Angeles had reached a season-best two games over .500 before dropping four straight. Thursday’s 105-99 loss in New Orleans came without Leonard, Garland, and Bennedict Mathurin — the Clippers’ top three scorers. Having Leonard and Garland back together gives Lue options he hasn’t had lately.
“Staggering Kawhi and Darius is good for us,” Lue said. “As the minutes pile up, getting better and getting more minutes throughout the course of the game, it’s easier to do that. Tonight will be one of those nights we can look forward to doing it.”
Mathurin remains out. Lue said he got on the court to shoot Friday and again Saturday morning but will not play.
Cooper Flagg vs. Kawhi Leonard
The most compelling individual matchup on the floor Saturday night goes both ways — and Jason Kidd knows it.
Leonard is averaging 28.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. He is one of the few players in the league capable of impacting a game on both sides of the ball, and Flagg will see him on both sides of the ball.
“You talk about Kawhi — he’s been in this league, and he’s one of the best at playing on both the offensive and defensive end,” Kidd said. “So this is a great test for Coop.”
Lue has been watching Flagg from a distance since the two teams last met in November and came away impressed.
“He’s a great player,” Lue said. “Having the ability to play some point guard has been really good for him — having a chance to make plays for other guys, putting guys in the right spots. He’s a guy that can play 1, 2, 3, 4, so he’s that talented.”
Flagg enters averaging 16.8 points over his last 10 games and posted 35 in the team’s last meeting, Nov. 30, a 114-110 Dallas win. Cooper Flagg is the most versatile wing on the roster and figures to draw the Leonard assignment for stretches, but containing him for 48 minutes is a collective effort.
Dallas Mavericks Focus on Fixing the Defense
Switching breakdowns have been a season-long issue, and both Kidd and Christie called it out directly heading into Saturday.
“We’ve got to be better protecting the paint,” Kidd said. “There’s too many guys getting behind our switching. That leads to paint scores, offensive rebounds, or wide-open threes.”
Christie was blunt about where things stand.
“Our defense has been pretty poor recently,” Christie said. “That was a big emphasis in the film session — our physicality, our effort on the defensive end, and obviously the X’s and O’s. That’s where it starts.”
The Clippers shoot 48.3% from the field this season. Darius Garland has averaged 2.5 made threes over his last 10 games. Dallas cannot load up on Leonard and leave the perimeter open.
“Their supporting cast is capable, too,” Christie said. “So it’s about communication, physicality, and effort.”
Ball Security and Offensive Flow Against LA Clippers
Dallas committed 18 turnovers against Atlanta on Wednesday. The Clippers average 11.1 steals per game over their last 10 and thrive in transition off live-ball mistakes.
Ryan Nembhard‘s 12-assist, zero-turnover performance Wednesday offers a blueprint. When Dallas is clean with the ball, the offense flows. Christie pointed to spacing and paint touches as the offensive priorities coming out of Friday’s practice.
“Offensively, we worked on spacing, finding ways to touch the paint more, generating more threes, and just having better flow and continuity,” Christie said.
The small-ball lineup with P.J. Washington at center has been a significant part of what has opened things up, and Christie credited him for making it work.
“P.J. has been phenomenal in that lineup,” Christie said. “His ability to shoot has really stretched defenses out. When the ball is popping and flowing, it allows for easy baskets at the rim or on the perimeter.”
Klay Thompson, coming off the bench this season, gives the Mavericks a spacing threat whose presence alone opens driving lanes. Kidd has been pleased with how the veteran has handled his role change.
“When we asked him to come out of the starting lineup and come off the bench, you can see his game speaks for itself,” Kidd said. “The year that he’s having, he’s shooting the ball extremely well for us, and you can see he’s having fun when he’s on the floor.”
Final Injury Report for LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks
For Dallas, Caleb Martin (right heel contusion), Brandon Williams (concussion protocol), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery), and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) are all out. G League two-way players Moussa Cissé, John Poulakidas, and Tyler Smith are listed as questionable.
Los Angeles will be without Bradley Beal (left hip fracture), Bennedict Mathurin (right toe injury), and Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (right Lisfranc ligament tear). Leonard and Garland are active.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at American Airlines Center.
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