Mavericks’ Jason Kidd issues James Harden reality before Clippers rematch

DALLAS — The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 118-95 on Thursday night. LA ended up having three players score 21 or more points, with James Harden playing a big role in the Clippers’ scoring attack. Harden scored 24 points and recorded seven assists, while Norman Powell led LA with 29 points and Ivica Zubac added 21. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd addressed the honest reality of playing against a star like Harden at practice on Friday.

“Yeah, he’s good. Harden is one of the best in the league at being able to score and also set the table for his teammates,” Kidd said. “And he did that well last night. We gotta try to make it tougher on him.”

The Mavericks will host the Clippers once again on Saturday night in what projects to be an exciting rematch. Dallas played without Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on Thursday, as the Mavs stars were out due to injuries. Irving, who was dealing with right shoulder soreness, is expected to return on Saturday night. However, Doncic, who continues to battle a left heel contusion, has been ruled out.

Mavericks searching for defensive answers against James Harden, Clippers

No, the Clippers do not have Paul George on the roster anymore, as he joined the Philadelphia 76ers during the offseason. Kawhi Leonard also remains out due to injury. Yet, LA features a more than capable offensive attack.

Harden controls the offense at an elite level. He is an extremely intelligent player, often making the right decision whether it is for himself or a teammate. Harden feels comfortable being aggressive on offense, but he is terrific at taking what the defensive gives him. If a defense makes him their primary focus, Harden will probably end up with more than 10 assists.

Harden demonstrated his balanced offensive game on Thursday. His 24 points and seven assists may not jump off the page, but he seemingly played a significant role on almost every Clippers’ offensive possession. With the Mavs having to focus on him, Norman Powell took advantage and finished just one point shy of 30 for the night.

Ivica Zubac causes no shortage of problems in the post. He can play as a roll-man to the basket, but he’s also capable of creating looks for himself in the post.

The Mavericks need an answer. Yes, Irving’s return will unquestionably provide an offensive boost. But Dallas must “make it tougher” on Harden, as Kidd said.

The Clippers and Mavericks will go head-to-head once again on Saturday night at 8:30 PM EST.