The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, 97 - 95, at American Airlines Center on Thursday. Dallas have now beat Los Angeles twice this season in three games, as they clearly match up well with this Clipper team. It was tightly contested though, as there were 10 ties and 11 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than 12 points. The assist - to - turnover ratio was decisive, as Dallas recorded 26 assists to nine turnovers, while Los Angeles committed 17 turnovers to just 18 assists. The Clippers (43 - 30) had a tough task here against a desperate Mavs team and they fell just short in this tight battle. Blake Griffin led the way for Los Angeles, as he tallied 21 points, five rebounds and two assists. DeAndre Jordan recorded a double - double, totaling 14 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks. Chris Paul finished with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals. On deck for the Clippers is a home matchup against the Utah Jazz on Saturday. The Mavericks (31 - 40) are trying to keep their playoffs hope alive and this win can only help that pursuit. Seth Curry scored a game - high 23 points to lead Dallas, as he also added three rebounds and four assists to his tally. Harrison Barnes was the hero, as he scored 21 points in addition to hitting the go - ahead jumper with one minute left, following that up with a crucial steal. Dirk Nowitzki accrued 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Nerlens Noel got the start and collected eight points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. On deck for the Mavericks is a home matchup versus the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.
["TeamStat(G,'Mavericks') has 26 Number of team assists ,has 40 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 9 Turnovers ,has 31 Wins ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Clippers') has 30 Number of team assists ,has 95 Losses ,has 43 Total points ."]