Without Dirk, Kidd Has His Own Party in the 4th: Mavericks 106 Clippers 96

Dirk Nowitzki is the centerpiece of the Mavericks offense. He is seventh in the league in scoring at 24.8 points per game and is an intimidating presence to defend. Having scored 18 points in just over 19 minutes on the court, Nowitzki was on his way to being the leading scorer once again.

But with 9:16 left in the third quarter, former Maverick Drew Gooden appeared to have brushed Nowitzki in the back, but the foul was called on Nowitzki. Clearly angered by the call, Nowitzki received two technical fouls and an ejection from the game.

The result: a steaming head coach, visibly rattled players and a 14-point third quarter by the Mavericks. The Clippers outscored the Mavs by 15 and what looked like an easy Maverick victory after a 14-point halftime lead turned into a 77-76 deficit at the end of the third quarter. A stark contrast to the other three 30-plus point quarters.

Enter game-changers Rodrique Beaubois and Jason Kidd. Beaubois came into the game with 2:55 remaining in the third and bucketed seven points in a row with a 3-pointer, a layup and an impressive dunk. With a strong fourth-quarter performer like Nowitzki out, Kidd, on his 37th birthday, served as the offensive powerhouse the Mavs needed for the 106-96 victory. He had his name all over the stat sheet with a season-high 26 points, 12 assists and six rebounds. Thirteen of Kidd’s 26 points came in the fourth on three 3’s and two layups. He also tallied four assists in the quarter, including on his protégé’s dunk to begin the quarter.

The Mavs outscored the Clippers 30-19 in the final 12 minutes, which began, thanks to Kidd and Beaubois, with a 22-3 Mavs run.

Brendan Haywood also got six of his 12 points in the fourth as well as 10 rebounds and four blocks for the game. Third in the NBA, Haywood averages 2.11 blocks per game.

After going for the mask-free look Monday, Jason Terry sported the mask again Tuesday.

For the Clippers, Gooden brought it all to the court against his former team with a notable double-double of 26 points and 20 rebounds.

The Mavs embark on a two-game West Coast road trip before returning home Monday for an important conference matchup with the Denver Nuggets. The Mavs win coupled with the Nuggets loss puts the two teams in a tie for second at the moment.