eI do not own anything on this video. No
Copyright Infringement Is Intended. I don't take credits anything from this video. Any Audiovisual content on this video is not owned by me and is owned by
NBA.
All rights reserved to NBA.
Visit their Website at www.nba.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) If not for an infamous summertime change of heart,
DeAndre Jordan would have been wearing
Mavericks blue at
Staples Center on Thursday night instead of
Clippers white.
Jordan is grateful he stayed true to his original colors, and his teammates helped him secure a big win over his spurned suitors.
Blake Griffin had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and
Jamal Crawford added 15 points in the Clippers' 104-88 victory over
Dallas on Thursday night in
Los Angeles' home opener.
Jordan had six points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots in his first game against the Mavericks since his summer misadventures in Dallas. Jordan tentatively agreed to join the
Mavs as a free agent before the Clippers' top brass and players descended on his
Houston home and persuaded him to return to Los Angeles, infuriating owner
Mark Cuban and Dallas fans.
"
It's definitely an emotional game," said Jordan, who declined to address the Dallas debacle directly. "The emotions were high obviously because it was our home opener. We wanted to give the fans what they missed."
The Mavs know what they missed with Jordan. From the opening minutes, it was clear that the clubs' offseason conflict over Jordan only amped up the feelings in this lively
Western Conference rivalry.
Cuban disparaged the Clippers in pregame remarks, saying that "you can change the owner, you can change the players, but the Clippers are still the franchise that they've been for the last 30 years."
Trash talk was abundant on the court and from both benches. The teams combined for four technical fouls and a series of hard personal fouls, including a heavy foul from
Nowitzki that left Jordan flexing and yelling instead of fighting.
"We didn't look at it that way, but obviously there's got to be something there from all the (offseason) stuff," Clippers coach
Doc Rivers said.
The Mavs engaged in Hack-a-DJ tactics late in the first half, sending the inept Jordan to the free-throw line eight times.
Austin Rivers scored
14 points for the Clippers, who pulled away easily in the second half with a strong bench performance.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 16 points for the Mavericks, who played without injured starting guards
Deron Williams and
Wesley Matthews.
"The (lack of) manpower made it tougher," Dallas coach
Rick Carlisle said. "We really would have had to play a perfect game. I thought we did a lot of things well, but in the end, from a shooting standpoint, we couldn't hit a bull in the (rear) with a bass fiddle."
Nowitzki is still surprised by the decision made by Jordan, who abruptly stopped texting with the
German star during the process.
"I think we were disappointed, but we still have to move on as a franchise, and that's what we did," Nowitzki said. "That happens in free agency sometimes."
HACK-A-JOSH
While slipping behind in the third quarter, the Mavs also resorted to intentional fouls against Clippers newcomer
Josh Smith, who hasn't made 54 percent of his free throws in any of the past four seasons.
WAY
BACK
The Mavericks had to play without both halves of their projected starting backcourt, but they're hoping the absences aren't long.
Williams has a sprained left knee that shows no structural damage, while
Matthews is returning to action slowly after surgery on his heel.
- published: 30 Oct 2015
- views: 57555