Smith returns as starter, Mavericks hold off Clippers 106-98

Dennis Smith Jr. had 17 points and eight rebounds in his return after a week away from the team amid trade talk, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-98 on Tuesday night.

Smith had two of his four assists on a layup and alley-oop dunk in the fourth quarter for DeAndre Jordan, who had 13 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks in his third game against the team with which the 6-foot-11 center from Texas spent his first 10 seasons.

Rookie sensation Luka Doncic, whose sudden emergence has clouded Smith's future in just his second season with the Mavericks, matched Smith with 17 points, including a key jumper with Dallas hanging on to a late lead in just its third win in 10 games.

LA Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic (77) of Germany during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Dallas, Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. (AP PhotoLM Otero)

Patrick Beverley scored 16 points while Avery Bradley and Lou Williams had 15 apiece for the Clippers, who lost for the sixth time in seven games coming off a win in San Antonio that ended a season-long five-game losing streak.

Harrison Barnes stopped a recent 3-point shooting slump by making three of five from long range, including one for the biggest Dallas lead at nine points with less than a minute remaining. Barnes led Dallas with 20 points.

The Clippers missed 16 straight shots in the second half, including their last 15 of the third quarter. But they still led 88-83 in the fourth before going 4 of 16 to finish the game. They shot 36 percent overall.

Smith and Doncic shared the floor for the final 2:14, with Smith starting that stretch with a long pass to Jordan for the dunk. Soon after, Doncic worked methodically for a jumper for a 101-93 lead with 1:22 to go.

The 21-year-old Smith had missed six straight games. The first three were listed as back tightness, but the last three were officially for illness as trade talk percolated. He missed a two-game road trip and was away from the team for its most recent home game last Wednesday.

The Clippers finished the third quarter shooting 17 percent (4 of 23). Despite the woeful shooting, they were tied at 73-all before Dirk Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer and Devin Harris had a driving layup for a 78-73 Dallas lead going to the fourth.

Nowitzki, in his record 21st season with the same franchise, made two of four from long range and finished with eight points. The 40-year-old played 10 minutes, right on his season average.

TIP-INS

Clippers: Williams returned after missing two games with a hamstring issue. He was 5 of 16 from the field, including 1 of 6 from 3. ... Leading scorer Danilo Gallinari missed his second straight game with back spasms.

Mavericks: G Wesley Matthews was 1 of 4 from 3-point range and needs two more from long range to become the first undrafted player with 1,500 career 3-pointers. ... Doncic and Smith struggled from long range, combining to go 1 of 14 with several shots that missed the rim. ... Doncic had seven rebounds and six assists.

UP NEXT

Clippers: At Miami on Wednesday, with LA trying to avoid getting swept in two-game season series for second straight year.

Mavericks: Both of this season's meetings with the Pistons are in the coming week, Friday in Dallas and Jan. 31 in Detroit.

More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Paolo Banchero had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Jalen Suggs added 24 points and the Orlando Magic handed Cleveland the worst playoff loss in franchise history, winning 121-83 on Thursday night to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Franz Wagner finished with 16 points and eight assists for the Magic, who led by 43 points in the fourth quarter on the way to the third-largest margin of victory in a playoff game. They earned their first playoff victory since 2019 and the first on their home floor since April 26, 2011.

They can even the series with a victory at home Sunday.

Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who shot 39% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range. Caris LeVert added 15 points and Donovan Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists.

76ERS 125, KNICKS 114

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid scored 50 points, making all four 3-point attempts and scoring 18 in a potential series-shifting third quarter to lead Philadelphia to a win over New York in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Embiid boldly stated “we’re going to win this series” after the 76ers dropped Game 2.

With one of the finest postseason efforts of his career, Embiid became the third player to ever score 50 points against the Knicks in the postseason and kept the hope of a Philadelphia series comeback very much alive.

The Knicks lead the series 2-1. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

Embiid was 13 of 19 from the floor overall, made 19 of 21 free throws and hit five 3-pointers.

NUGGETS 112, LAKERS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Gordon had 29 points and 15 rebounds, Nikola Jokic added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, and Denver moved to the brink of the second round with a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of their first-round series..

Jamal Murray scored 22 points as the defending NBA champion Nuggets won their 11th consecutive meeting with LeBron James and the Lakers in dominating style.

Michael Porter Jr. added 20 points for Denver, which took control in the third quarter and cruised through the final minutes to its fifth straight road win over Los Angeles, starting with its sweep of last season’s Western Conference finals.

Game 4 is Saturday night in Los Angeles. No NBA team has ever rallied from an 0-3 playoff deficit.

Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) makes a shot as he gets past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)