The Dallas Mavericks have not won at American Airlines Center since Jan. 22. Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers is their next chance to change that, and both coach Jason Kidd and guard Max Christie were direct on Friday about what needs to happen differently.
Los Angeles (34-36) arrives sitting eighth in the Western Conference, fighting for its playoff life and averaging 119.5 points over its last 10 games. The Mavericks (23-47) have allowed 123.2 points per game in that same span while going 2-8.
Slowing Down Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Everything starts here. Kawhi Leonard is averaging 28.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and has been the most difficult individual matchup in the Western Conference when healthy. Neither Kidd nor Christie danced around it.
“Well, Kawhi is playing at a very high level. You’ve got to take care of the ball,” Kidd said. “They’re a veteran ball club. When Kawhi gets going, it’s very hard to stop him. So just understanding that. They’re very good in transition, very good defensively with their length. So we’ve got to be able to move the ball and take care of it tomorrow.”
Christie echoed that assessment from a player’s perspective.
“Kawhi is the first and foremost problem for everybody,” Christie said. “He’s playing at such an elite level, and the Clippers as a team — the turnaround they’ve had has been really impressive.”
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.
Darius Garland adds another layer to the problem. He has averaged 2.5 made threes over his last 10 games, and the Clippers are shooting 50.3% from the field in that stretch. Dallas cannot load up on Leonard and leave shooters open on the perimeter.
“Their supporting cast is capable, too,” Christie said. “So it’s about communication, physicality, and effort.”
Dallas Mavericks Seek to Fix Switching Defense
This has been a recurring problem all season, and both Kidd and Christie explicitly named it a priority heading into Saturday.
“We’ve got to be better protecting the paint,” Kidd said. “And then also we have to be better in our switching defense because there’s too many guys getting behind our switching. That leads to paint scores, offensive rebounds, or wide-open threes. So we just have to be better in that area.”
Christie was equally blunt about where the team stands defensively right now, emphasizing the need to improve its physicality.
“Our defense has been pretty poor recently, so that was a big emphasis in the film session — just talking about our physicality, our effort on the defensive end, and obviously the X’s and O’s we’ve got to be better at,” Christie said. “We’ve got to be better defensively. That’s where it starts.”
The Clippers are shooting 48.3% from the field this season. If Los Angeles is finding lanes behind Dallas switches at that rate, the Mavericks will need Daniel Gafford active as a deterrent at the rim and disciplined rotations from everyone else. The same breakdowns that allowed Atlanta to score 72 points in the paint Wednesday will be exploited by a Clippers offense that runs sets with veteran precision.
Dallas Mavericks Focus on Taking Care of the Ball
Dallas committed 18 turnovers against Atlanta and has been one of the leakier teams in the league in that category over its recent slide. The Clippers average 11.1 steals per game over their last 10 — the most disruptive defensive number in this matchup — and they thrive in transition off live-ball turnovers.
Kidd connected ball security directly to how Dallas wants to play offensively.
“You’ve got to take care of the ball,” Kidd said. “They’re very good in transition, very good defensively with their length. So we’ve got to be able to move the ball and take care of it tomorrow.”
Ryan Nembhard‘s ability to distribute without turning it over will be critical. He had 12 assists and zero turnovers against Atlanta on Wednesday, and that kind of discipline sets the tone for how clean Dallas can be offensively.
When the Mavericks are careless, they fuel transition opportunities for an already-efficient Clippers offense that does not need extra possessions to beat you.
Moving the Ball, Generating Threes and Finding the Paint
Dallas averages 10.7 made threes per game while the Clippers allow 13.4 — one of the cleaner statistical edges the Mavericks have heading in. Christie pointed to spacing and paint touches as the areas of offensive emphasis in 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. “I think our defense has been pretty poor recently, so that was a big emphasis in the film session.”
The small-ball lineup with P.J. Washington at center has been a significant part of what has opened things up offensively, and Christie gave Washington credit for making it work.
“P.J. has been phenomenal in that lineup,” Chritie said. “His ability to shoot has really stretched defenses out. Then you combine that with a lot of our cutting and movement off the ball — when the ball is popping and flowing, it allows for easy baskets at the rim or on the perimeter.”
Flagg enters the matchup averaging 16.8 points over his last 10 games and with established history against Los Angeles. In the teams’ last meeting on Nov. 30 — a 114-110 Dallas win — he posted 35 points. Naji Marshall is shooting 52.1% on the season. Klay Thompson, returning from injury, gives the Mavericks a gravity shooter whose presence alone opens driving lanes for others.
“I think you look at his ability, one, to play in the open court and make the right decisions — getting shots early,” Kidd said. “You’ve got guys like Naji or P.J. knocking down shots. But his ability to get into the paint, to get multiple guys on him, and then his decision-making as a quarterback has been good.”
Christie also pointed to the mental preparation the team has leaned on during a stretch without much practice time.
“A lot of film study is important. And just continuing to communicate with each other with what we see on the floor — continuing to get mental reps,” Christie explained. “Obviously, our physical bodies are important with all the travel we’ve had. So it’s about maintaining that balance of staying off your feet but still keeping some consistency.”
Injury Report
Brandon Williams (concussion protocol), Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery) and Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery) are all out. Caleb Martin is questionable with a right heel contusion. Neither Williams nor Martin participated in Friday’s practice.
Leonard is listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center.
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