The Dallas Mavericks (23-47) welcome the Los Angeles Clippers (34-36) to town, as both teams look to get back into the win column.
The Mavericks are coming off a 135-120 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, and the Clippers are looking to get right after consecutive losses to the New Orleans Pelicans. Here are three notes as the Mavericks take on a familiar foe at the AAC.
Have the reinforcements arrived?
The tank is gaining steam at the right time for Dallas. With razor-thin margins in the standings, every game matters for the Mavericks,
Pelicans, and Grizzlies, who are separated by 1.5 games, and three weeks left in the season. The Grizzlies took home a surprising win over the Nuggets on Wednesday, and the Pelicans have won six of eight games, including back-to-back wins against these Clippers.
Dallas may be losing, but it’s not for lack of effort. The Mavericks are still playing the best players available, and there have been some silver linings. Most notably, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford have looked more like themselves lately. In the past five games, Washington has averaged 16.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. Gafford has averaged 18.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks.
With Memphis and New Orleans finding ways to scratch out wins, Washington and Gafford won’t be enough to save Dallas as they did in 2024, but it’s good to see them returning to form.
Kawhi Leonard looks like an MVP
Leonard is a lot like a tree – quiet, tall, strong, has rings, and is a model of consistency. Bad joke?
All jokes aside, Leonard has quietly put together an MVP-caliber season. The 34-year-old is sixth in the NBA in scoring this season at 28.2 points per game on 50.4% shooting. He’s also averaging 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.0 steals. This is the most complete Kawhi Leonard we’ve seen since 2021, when he seemingly could not miss a shot and was still in his prime defensively. He’s also been largely available this season (at least by his standards), playing in 54 of 70 games so far.
If the Clippers didn’t take until Christmas to figure out the Thunder own their 2026 first-round pick, starting 6-21, Leonard’s name would be louder in MVP chatter, but the Clippers simply haven’t been good.
Even after reshaping the roster, letting go of Ivica Zubac and James Harden, and adding Darius Garland and Benedict Mathurin, the Clippers haven’t found a solid footing. They’re 10-9 since the trade deadline and stuck solid in the play-in. But Kawhi loves making life hard on the Mavs and wouldn’t be surprised to see him do it again on Saturday.
Can Flagg find his shooting stroke?
Cooper Flagg has been nothing short of spectacular this season. He was the heavy favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors until a left foot sprain sidelined him for nearly a month. He missed eight games during that span and, since returning to the lineup on March 5, has only shot 41% from the floor. The other parts of his game haven’t missed a step, as he’s showcased his ability to be an all-around player, averaging 18.7 points per game, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists since returning to the hardwood.
Defenses have started to adjust to Flagg’s strengths, giving him more space to shoot and less freedom to attack one-on-one. With this season being a wash, this is Flagg’s trial-and-error time to get more reps on his shots and see other ways he can create offense for himself. To be successful in today’s NBA, you have to be able to shoot. It’s one of Flagg’s only “weaknesses” (if we have to say he has one). One of his strengths is his ability to adapt, and he’ll figure this out, too.
How to watch
The Mavs and Clippers tip off at 7:30 CT from the American Airlines Center. You can watch on KFAA Channel 29, Mavs TV, or NBA League Pass.
