Ivica Zubac delivered a historic outing as the Los Angeles Clippers routed the Dallas Mavericks 135-104 on Saturday night, securing back-to-back blowout victories over their Western Conference rival.
The Clippers center went a perfect 11-of-11 from the field for 25 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first player in NBA history to post at least 25 points and 10 boards in a game without missing a shot or committing a turnover.
Zubac’s flawless effort also set a new franchise record for most field goals made without a miss in a single game.
James Harden and Kawhi Leonard each scored 29 points, helping the Clippers improve to 46-32 and strengthen their hold on the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles built a 16-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back, dominating the second half behind a 44-point third quarter that pushed the game out of reach.
Zubac’s dunk capped a 17-6 run late in the third, giving Los Angeles a 92-71 lead after Klay Thompson had briefly pulled Dallas within 10 with a three-pointer.
By the end of the third quarter, the trio of Leonard, Harden, and Zubac had combined for 81 points on 33-of-49 shooting—just one point shy of the entire Mavericks roster through that span.
Los Angeles has now won four straight and six of its last seven, keeping pressure on the sixth-seeded Suns as the regular season nears its end.
Harden added 14 assists and seven rebounds in 31 minutes, continuing his efficient stretch since the All-Star break.
Leonard hit three of five from beyond the arc and recorded three steals, helping lead a defensive effort that held Dallas to 43.6% shooting and just 25.9% from deep.
Norman Powell and the Clippers’ bench chipped in 48 points collectively, with all 13 players who saw action registering in the scoring column.
The Mavericks, who fell to 38-41 with the loss, trailed by as many as 33 points and never seriously threatened after halftime.
Anthony Davis led Dallas with 27 points and nine rebounds, but was seen grabbing his left knee in the first half and his stomach late in the game, raising concerns about his status moving forward.
Davis has dealt with abdominal issues since being traded from the Lakers and appeared visibly uncomfortable during stretches of the second half, although he remained in the game.
Kai Jones was a bright spot off the bench for Dallas, finishing with 18 points on a perfect 9-of-9 shooting, while Thompson scored 14 in limited minutes.
The Mavericks have now lost three of their last four games and find themselves in danger of missing the play-in tournament altogether just one year after reaching the NBA Finals.
Spencer Dinwiddie struggled from the floor, hitting just one of 11 shots, while P.J. Washington Jr. was a minus-29 in 30 minutes.
Dallas also played without multiple key players including Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford, and Dante Exum, leaving the rotation depleted.
Los Angeles finished the game shooting 56.3% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range, while limiting their turnovers to just six.
