Halftime Report
Down six at the end of the first quarter, the Clippers now have the lead. They have jumped out to a 70-65 lead against the Mavericks.
The Clippers came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.
Who's Playing
Los Angeles Clippers @ Dallas Mavericks
Current Records: Los Angeles 15-12, Dallas 17-9
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: American Airlines Center -- Dallas, Texas
- TV: FanDuel SN - SoCal
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select NBA matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $32.95
What to Know
After four games on the road, the Mavericks are heading back home. They will take on the Los Angeles Clippers at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at American Airlines Center after having had a few days off. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
The Mavericks are headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They came out on top against the Warriors by a score of 143-133 on Sunday.
Luka Doncic was a one-man wrecking crew for the Mavericks as he shot 6-for-11 from deep and dropped a triple-double on 45 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. Doncic's performance made up for a slower game against the Thunder last Tuesday. Another player making a difference was Klay Thompson, who went 7 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 29 points plus five rebounds and two steals.
The Mavericks were working as a unit and finished the game with 36 assists. That's the most assists they've posted since back in December of 2023.
Meanwhile, the Clippers finally caught a break after three consecutive losses. They steamrolled past the Jazz 144-107 on Monday. That 37 point margin sets a new team best for Los Angeles this season.
James Harden had a dynamite game for the Clippers, going 7 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 41 points plus six assists. Harden had some trouble finding his footing against the Nuggets on Friday, so this was a nice turnaround. Norman Powell was another key player, going 12 for 16 en route to 29 points.
Dallas is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine contests, which provided a massive bump to their 17-9 record this season. As for Los Angeles, their win bumped their record up to 15-12.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: The Mavericks haven't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 119.5 points per game (they're ranked fourth in scoring overall). It's a different story for the Clippers, though, as they've been averaging only 109.6. The only thing between the Mavericks and another offensive beatdown is the Clippers. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Looking ahead, the Mavericks are the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 4.5 points. They might be worth a quick bet since they're sitting on a six game streak of covering the spread when playing at home.
Odds
Dallas is a 4.5-point favorite against Los Angeles, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Mavericks as a 5.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 223.5 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Dallas has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Los Angeles.
- May 03, 2024 - Dallas 114 vs. Los Angeles 101
- May 01, 2024 - Dallas 123 vs. Los Angeles 93
- Apr 28, 2024 - Los Angeles 116 vs. Dallas 111
- Apr 26, 2024 - Dallas 101 vs. Los Angeles 90
- Apr 23, 2024 - Dallas 96 vs. Los Angeles 93
- Apr 21, 2024 - Los Angeles 109 vs. Dallas 97
- Dec 20, 2023 - Los Angeles 120 vs. Dallas 111
- Nov 25, 2023 - Los Angeles 107 vs. Dallas 88
- Nov 10, 2023 - Dallas 144 vs. Los Angeles 126
- Feb 08, 2023 - Dallas 110 vs. Los Angeles 104