Takeaways: Mavs flash long-range success to whip Clips

We need to visit one of Jason Kidd’s favorite topics: defense.

The Mavericks played that side of the game very well in Tuesday’s 103-101 win over the Los Angeles Clippers – for a half.

Actually, just for the first quarter, when they smothered the Clips.

After that?

The Clippers shot 64.4 percent over the last three quarters, including 71.9 percent in the second half and 78.6 percent in the fourth quarter.

Hearing that, you have to wonder how the Mavericks squeaked out a win.

But they did. And that’s really all that matters. And their defense, while giving up a lot of buckets, did produce 21 turnovers – leading to 28 points. So it wasn’t all bad.

But you can bet Kidd will stress a more consistent focus on the defensive end from what likely will be a Luka-less roster Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets. Everybody will get a chance to show that they aren’t afraid to get their nose dirty on the defensive end.

Now, on to the takeaways from the narrow win over the LA Clippers.

SHOOTERS SHOOT: The only way you can win games is putting the ball in the basket. And the Mavericks went about that in a number of ways. Yes, Luka Dončić was awesome, hitting half of his 22 shots and hitting the game-clincher at the end of the shot clock with 27 seconds to play. But that was set up by Reggie Bullock, who had dragged 29.4 percent three-point shooting into this game, but caught fire in the fourth quarter by hitting four of five from beyond the arc. That heater brought his season percentage up to 32.2. And then there was Dorian Finney-Smith. It was Luka that saw 7-footer Ivica Zubac covering Finney-Smith early in the game. “He told me to shoot 10 threes,” Finney-Smith said. And so, he fired up 13, made seven of them and had a season-best 21 points.

STRONG NUMBERS: The final numbers say the Mavericks got outrebounded 40-34. But look closer and you realize the Clippers got only three offensive rebounds. That led to zero second-chance points. The Mavericks had 10. Another key to the game: the Mavericks had just 12 turnovers to the Clips’ 21. And while LA’s turnovers led to 28 Dallas points, the Mavericks’ miscues only generated 14 points for the visitors.

WRONG NUMBERS: Luka Dončić was 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. Can’t do any better than that. But the rest of the Mavericks were a combined 5-of-13, which can’t be tolerated . . . The Mavericks usually have great bench production, but that wasn’t the case this time. The reserves were outscored by the Clippers’ backups 51-15. Nic Batum, who is ancient by NBA standards, hit all seven of his shots – and all of them were 3-pointers . . . The Clippers’ Paul George had a unique double-double: 23 points, 10 turnovers.

Twitter: @ESefko