All the drama surrounding Vinny Del Negro’s coaching situation evaporated during a five-game homestand that saw the Los Angeles Clippers win all five games.
However, most of the team’s struggles have come on the road, where they have dropped five of their last six games.
Things won’t get any easier for the Clippers, who play nine of their remaining 14 games away from the Staples Center. Seven of those contests are against teams with a winning record.
Chris Paul and the Clippers hope to resolve their road issues as they visit Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in Monday’s best game.
The last time the teams met was Feb. 13, when the host Mavericks edged the Clippers, 96-92, behind Nowitzki who scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Former Mav Caron Butler had a season-high 23 points but missed a 3-pointer with five seconds remaining that would have given the Clippers the lead. Blake Griffin scored 20 points but missed 7-of-9 free throws.
Los Angeles (31-21) has not won at the American Airlines Center since April 19, 2006, the last time it made the playoffs. LA has lost 17 of its last 19 meetings with Dallas.
This will be the final meeting between the teams and will represent the tiebreaker as they split the first two games. The Clippers are fourth in the Western Conference, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mavs.
The Clippers have two players that are in exclusive company: Paul is the only player averaging at least 19 points, eight assists and 2.0 steals, while Griffin is the only player averaging at least 21 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
Griffin was on fire during the homestand, scoring at least 20 points in each game while shooting an incredible 66.2 percent. He leads the league with 147 dunks.
Dallas(30-23) has won three of its last four contests, including Friday at Orlando, where Nowitzki hit a game-winning bank shot with 5.9 seconds remaining. He capped his best month of the season with 28 points and averaged 25.2 points in March.
After struggling with numerous injuries throughout the season, Dallas finally got a full look at its roster with the return of center Brendan Haywood, who missed the previous seven games due to a sprained ankle.
Delonte West also has been effective since his return, averaging 11 points on 61.5 percent shooting after missing 21 games due to a broken finger.
The Mavericks are 9-1 when Shawn Marion scores at least 15 points.