Clippers clobber Mavericks, 115-98

The Clippers' injury bug was clearly contagious, as the Mavericks lost two starters in the opening minutes of the first quarter, and perhaps less importantly, the ballgame. Early on, Tyson Chandler twisted his ankle, and shortly thereafter Monta Ellis hurt his hip. Both attempted to stay in the game, but quickly realized they wouldn't be able to continue. With no sympathy coming from the Griffin-less Clippers, the boys in red and blue turned it up a notch. The Clippers led for most of the game, and whenever Dallas would make a run to close the gap, the Clippers would immediately respond with a run of their own, never allowing the Mavs to get within 5 points.

The game was a tale of two halves, both of which were dominated by Los Angeles. In the first half, the Clippers won with offense, shooting an efficient 54.3%, with Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan tallying double-digit assists and rebounds, respectively. The second half, on the other hand, was won by the Clippers' defense. The law of averages took effect and the Clippers' offense took a nosedive, as they shot a disturbing 34.8% in the second half, but they made up for it by holding the Mavericks to 35.0% while they extended their lead.

Without a doubt, the player of the game was DeAndre Jordan, who had 22 points (on 75% shooting), 27 rebounds (11 offensive), 3 blocks, a steal, and sunk 6 of 9 free throws. He was just incredible and somehow made you forget about Chris Paul, who had 25 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. J.J. Redick was a sight for sore eyes, and he looked like he hadn't missed a beat, scoring 15 points and going 3 of 4 from deep.

For those who didn't watch the game, it might seem telling that Spencer Hawes only played 14 minutes and once again grabbed one measly rebound. But it appeared to be more of a match-up thing, as the Mavericks aren't very big after Tyson Chandler. With Chandler out, DJ was a man among boys, and frankly, he was the only big the Clippers needed on the court.

This was a heck of a win by the Clippers, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Sure, the Mavericks were under-powered without Tyson Chandler or Monta Ellis for most of the game, but so are the Clippers who'll take any win they can get, particularly against a conference rival. Good win.

Shot Counter

Since the Clippers were depressing me into borderline alcoholism, I decided to make this game into a drinking game:

To be honest, I'm not even sure if they still sell Smirnoff Ice. Man that stuff was nasty. Anyway, I will let you know how it goes, as I intend to make good on this list this weekend.  Happy Valentines Day Mrs. Olsgaard!