Where to watch Dallas Mavericks at L.A. Clippers: time, FREE live stream, details

Two NBA teams expected to be powerhouses in the Western Conference will meet Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles when the Dallas Mavericks come calling the play the Clippers.

Game time is 10:30 p.m. ET and will air on the NBA Network and be live-streamed on fubo TV (FREE trial) and DirecTV Stream (discount).

The game pits one team that has matched expectations during the season’s first month vs. one that added pressure by trading for James Harden and has found the transition since then a difficult one.

Dallas will enter play on Saturday night with a 10-5 record, third in the Western Conference, and are playing their second game in Los Angeles in three days after beating the Lakers 104-101 on Wednesday. Kyrie Irving scored 28 and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 22 seconds to play, rescuing the Mavericks after they blew a 20-point lead.

The Mavericks missed their first 11 shots of the quarter and 16 of their 19 shots overall to see their lead disappear, but Irving hit his fourth 3-pointer of the night off a pass from Doncic near the Lakers’ bench to lift the Mavericks ahead to stay. Doncic then stole LeBron James’ poor pass to the basket, and Irving hit two free throws before James missed another 3-point attempt.

“When you have quarterbacks like Luka and Ky, trust is high,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said, according to The Associated Press . “A lot of times they’re going to get double-teamed, but Luka makes a heck of a pass, and Ky does what he does. No panic, and he makes a big shot to win.”

Doncic is averaging 30.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 8.1 assists for the Mavericks, and Irving has been a perfect complement, averaging 24.3 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. (17.5) and Grant Williams (10.5) are also averaging in double figures for the Mavericks.

As for the Clippers, they made the biggest transaction of the season so far but the trade with the Sixers to acquire Harden has provided far more splash than success.

Following the Nov. 1 trade, the Clippers immediately lost six straight games as they tried to sort out their lineup and rotation. After winning three straight, they lost 116-106 to the New Orleans Pelicans thanks for 32 points by Zion Williamson and 30 more by Brandon Ingram.

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden dribbles around teammate Ivica Zubac (40) and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 6, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/John Munson)AP

The one player who has suffered the most since Harden’s arrival is Russell Westbrook, whose field-goal percentage dropped significantly and who eventually landed on the bench as a second-string player. He played only 14 minutes in the loss to the Pelicans, and the future suggests he will continue to see his role diminish. Lineups featuring him and Harden have a minus-17.6 net rating in 241 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass, and it’s doubtful that the new addition is going to see his minutes reduced.

For the Clippers to get out of this funk, they will need more production out of Paul George (25.4 points per game) and Kawhi Leonard (21.3) and for Harden to somehow reach back and find some of his overall magic from yesteryear. So far, it is a subtraction by addition for the Clippers but there’s still enough season for that to turn around.

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