DALLAS (AP) — Harrison Barnes made the go-ahead basket, then stole the ball from Blake Griffin with 3.9 seconds left as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 97-95 on Thursday night.
Barnes made a 14-foot jumper with 1:06 remaining for the game’s 11th lead change, making it 96-95. After he stripped Griffin, Wesley Matthews made a free throw with 0.9 seconds to play before J.J. Redick missed a 3-point attempt that would have won it at the buzzer.
Griffin scored 21 points, including nine in a row in the fourth quarter, but the Clippers had their three-game winning streak snapped. Dallas, battling from behind for a playoff berth, had lost four of six.
Seth Curry led Dallas with 23 points. Barnes finished with 21 and Dirk Nowitzki had 14.
DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 18 rebounds for the Clippers. Chris Paul scored 15 points and Austin Rivers had 13.
The Mavericks led by as many as 12 points in the second quarter. But after trailing 44-32, Los Angeles finished the first half on a 22-4 run for a 54-48 halftime lead. Redick and Paul each scored five points as the Clippers scored 13 unanswered points to gain a 49-46 advantage.
Paul had 13 points in the first half, and Jordan already had a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Nowitzki and Curry each had 10 points for the Mavericks.
Dallas came back to start the third quarter with a 13-2 run to regain the lead at 61-56. Barnes scored 10 points and Curry had eight in the quarter, which ended with the Mavericks clinging to a 79-77 lead.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Redick’s four-point play in the second quarter was the 31st of his career. . The Clippers outrebounded Dallas 25-15 in the first half.
Mavericks: J.J. Barea — listed at 6 feet, 185 pounds — was ejected with 5:29 to play in the third quarter after pushing the 6-10, 251-pound Griffin to the floor. . Dallas started a big lineup, with Nerlens Noel at center and point guard Yogi Ferrell on the bench, to try to counteract Jordan and Griffin inside.
UP NEXT
Clippers: Begin a three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon against Utah.
Mavericks: Play the third game of a four-game homestand vs. Toronto on Saturday.