LA Clippers must refocus, prepare for battle with Dallas Mavericks

The last time these two teams met, it felt like a bump in the road after the LA Clippers lost 110-114. Now, that bump feels more like a mountain.

Let’s take a mental journey back to the beginning of December. The LA Clippers entered the month with a 15-6 record, Tobias Harris had just been named Western Conference Player of the Month, and Doc Rivers had received the same honor for coaching. The team was fresh off a road win against the Sacramento Kings, and would have a few days rest before they traveled to Dallas to see their old pal DeAndre Jordan again.

Dallas ended LA’s four-game win streak with a 110-114 victory, which felt like a small hiccup at the time. Sure, the Clippers were favored and probably should’ve beaten the Mavericks, but there were hardly any concerns coming from Clipper Nation.

Those worries, whatever they were, likely dissipated after the Clippers took down the New Orleans Pelicans on the road the following night. It wasn’t the most commanding win of the season, just a three-point victory, but it was the second night of a back-to-back against a team the Clippers had already lost to once this year.

Then came the collapse.

Since beating the Pelicans, the Clippers are just 1-7, with the lone win coming against the bottom-dwelling Phoenix Suns. And while most of the losses have come against difficult opponents, the margin of victory has been devastating.

First, the Clippers put up 86 points in a loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. A few nights later, they lost at home by 23 points to the Miami Heat. But the most embarrassing loss of the bunch came against the San Antonio Spurs, when the Clippers were defeated by 38 points.

At first, it was hard to tell exactly what the reason was as to why the Clippers couldn’t come out on top. Many thought it had to do with effort, which is reasonable. There were also times when the team didn’t seem focused.

LA is getting outscored by an average margin of 11 points in the month of December, and allowing opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent from the floor. There’s your issue. That’s what has to be fixed.

Tonight, the Clippers will get a chance to do just that, and avenge their loss earlier this month that seemed to have a snowball effect.

Last time out, it was J.J. Barea that was arguably the game’s MVP. He scored 24 points off the bench for Dallas across 26 minutes, and while that type of outburst isn’t too common for the 34-year-old guard anymore, the Clippers would be wise to adjust properly.

The Clippers also didn’t get a chance to see rookie sensation Luka Doncic in their early-December matchup, as he was resting a sore ankle. With averages of 18.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, he’ll be a tough assignment.

Jordan and Dennis Smith Jr. are both questionable for tonight’s game as well, a stroke of luck for Los Angeles. Both players had significant roles in their first game, as Jordan logged 16 points an 23 rebounds and Smith Jr. made a potential game-saving block on Harris in the final seconds.

Dallas is a different team on the road, posting just two wins in 13 away games so far this season. It’ll be interesting to see how important home court is to them when going up against a familiar opponent.

On LA’s end, the usual few will likely remain inactive. Jerome Robinson is expected to return sometime around Christmas, and Lou Williams and Luc Mbah a Moute could both be back by the beginning of next week as well. Williams is listed as questionable ahead of tonight’s game.

Look for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Harris, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley to all have big games tonight. Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off a career-high 24-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers. Harrell will likely be playing with extra emotion after being ejected in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s loss. As for Beverley, well, he has some new history with this Mavericks team, and chances are he tries to make a statement tonight.

It doesn’t get any easier from here for the Clippers, so a win tonight is essential. They’ll tip off with the Dallas Mavericks at 7:30 PST on TNT.