LOS ANGELES – The Dallas Mavericks took a historic 50-point lead on Sunday, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 124-73.
At halftime, the Mavericks had a 77-27 advantage over Staples Center over the previous best score in an NBA game, with the Golden State Warriors scoring 47 points against the Sacramento Kings in November 1991, according to a study by the Elias Sports Bureau.
Mavericks (1-2) lead by 57 points and maintain the lead by at least 40 points over the last 31 minutes and 11 seconds. It’s a team’s longest lead in the last 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
We have shown who we are, said Mavericks playmaker Luka Doncic, who recorded 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes. People judged us after the first two games of the season. It’s a long season, but we have to keep going. We have to play defense. That’s our specialty from now on.
The Clippers (2-1) hope that they will not be judged on their worst loss in the history of the franchise. This 51-point loss was supplemented by a 50-point loss at Seattle SuperSonics in December 1988.
The Clippers, who play Kawhi Leonard (mouth injury) and Marcus Morris (knee) without injury, scored only five points in the first eight minutes and only reached 20 points at 5:01 a.m. late in the second quarter.
I take full responsibility for that, said Clippers goalkeeper Paul George, who scored 15 points but missed all six of his attempts by three points. It’s a difficult game at Christmas. I had a good Christmas yesterday. He came out too fast today. I’m gonna take full responsibility, go out there and be ready to play today. In the next game the situation will be different and we will be ready.
After an impressive start to the season in which the Clippers beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening game and the Nuggets in Denver on Friday, the first half of the Clippers was a disaster.
They didn’t come back to Los Angeles until early Saturday, and the team spent the day celebrating their family because they were away for Christmas, George said.
I hope everyone enjoyed Christmas yesterday and that’s why today has been such a quiet day, George said.
The Mavericks opened the game with a 58 percent points count and scored nine to three points in the first half. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Clippers have made a total of nine field goals and missed 18 of the 19 halftime attempts by 3 points, their worst 3-point field goal percentage in the last 25 seasons.
It’s funny no one noticed that before rest. Honestly, Tim Hardaway Jr., Mavs’ goalie, said something at halftime. It’s just that everyone made sure we weren’t focused on the score at all. … Everyone clicked all the cylinders and luckily we won.
Ty Lew’s team went 4 for 33 from three points away. Before the game, the Clippers’ coach said he wasn’t sure when Leonard would be back. The All-Star striker needed eight stitches in his mouth after winning Friday night in Denver.
Lew and George both said the Clippers will be ready to go on Tuesday when they take Minnesota at home.
This is an exception, Mr. Lew said. That doesn’t take away from what we’ve done, what we’ve been working on and how we try to improve every night.
There wasn’t much fight tonight, not much pop, and we know it will be the same in the next game.
Tim McMahon of ESPN contributed to this report.
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