NBA scores 2015: Mavericks may be rejuvenated, plus 3 other things we learned Friday

The Dallas Mavericks looked good again in a much-needed win with a blowout of the Los Angeles Clippers, plus three other things we learned Friday.

by Liam Boylan-Pett

Mar 14, 2015, 12:00 PM UTC

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Part Of

NBA schedule and results: Raptors top Heat, Nuggets beat Curry-less Warriors

see all updates

The Dallas Mavericks had lost five of seven games after being routed by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. It was a low point in a dismal stretch. But they turned things around against the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night, and forcefully. The Mavericks blew out the Clippers, 129-99, and were led by 22 points from Chandler Parsons.

The Mavericks needed the win. Since acquiring Rajon Rondo on Dec. 18, the Mavericks were just 22-17 heading into Friday. Dallas blog Mavs Money Ball took an in-depth look at a the Mavericks' miserable stretch from from Jan. 7 up to the loss to the Cavaliers. Since that day, they were just 15-15. It looked like they turned things around on Friday. There are still question marks for the Mavericks -- like, can they do this consistently? -- but a dominating win over a Western Conference playoff team was a nice boost as they enter the season's home stretch.

The game wasn’t a blowout throughout. The Clippers hung tight for a while -- J.J. Reddick had 15 points in the first two quarters to keep the Clippers in it. Parsons fired back for the Mavericks, though. He had 14 points in the first half and made all four of his three-point shots, and the Mavericks led 59-51 at the break.

The second half was a different story. The Mavericks had their way against the Clippers. The offense looked like one that can win a playoff series in the West. Rondo was throwing pretty passes. Parsons was hitting ridiculous shots. Heck, Dirk Nowitzki even dunked. They outscored the Clippers, 38-21, in the final frame.

In the Western Conference, everyone needs in a win. DeAndre Jordan's 16 points and 18 rebounds weren't enough. Chris Paul had just 11 points and seven assists. The Clippers have now lost three of their last five. They've played well since losing Blake Griffin, going 9-6 in that stretch, but winning a seed in the West requires more. Just three games separate the Portland Trail Blazers (third in the West) and the San Antonio Spurs (seventh). The Clippers are currently in the fifth slot at 42-24, just a half-game up on the Mavericks at 42-25.

With fewer than 20 games remaining, the race for playoff seeding is just heating up. If tonight’s win was any indication, the Mavericks are ready.

3 other things we learned

A triple-double by Russell Westbrook isn't a surprise anymore. Westbrook had 29 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. It was his sixth triple-double in his last eight games, but it wasn't Westbrook's best performance. He shot just 11-of-24 from the field. His Oklahoma City Thunder did beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 113-99, at least. It was a big win -- the Thunder are now tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth spot in the West with a 36-29 record. The Suns, meanwhile, keep falling further and further behind. They lost to the Atlanta Hawks, 96-87, to drop to 34-33, 3.5 games out of the playoffs.

The Chicago Bulls are in trouble. Sure, they're missing two of their best players with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler out, but the Bulls are slowly watching the East's second seed slip away from them. A loss to the Charlotte Hornets didn't help -- especially after they led by 19 early in the second quarter. The Bulls made 11-of-14 threes in the first half and led, 60-52, at the break. Then, the Hornets clamped down and the Bulls went cold, scoring just 10 points in the third quarter and 31 in the second half as the Hornets won, 102-92. Seven Hornets scored in double figures, led by 20 points from Gerald Henderson. In Kemba Walker's second game back from a knee injury, he had 10 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 28 minutes of play. The Hornets are currently eighth in the East. The Bulls, meanwhile, have lost six of their last 10, and need to get healthy.

DeMarcus Cousins needs a better team. He had 39 points and 24 rebounds for the Sacramento Kings, but they lost to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers, 114-107, after blowing an 18-point lead. After starting the season 5-1 and making Sacramento fans believe they had a contender, everything has unraveled. The Kings have lost games, fired their coach and sputtered to a 22-42 record. And they've done it in the midst of Cousins' best season as a pro. He's averaging 23.3 points and 12.4 rebounds per game, and it's not enough. Heck, 39 and 24 isn't enough. The 76ers, meanwhile, are showing at least a few signs of promise. Nerlens Noel had 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, and seven 76ers scored in double figures.

Play of the night

(h/t FanKave)

Kenneth Faried is a mean, mean man. This block will forever be proof of that. The Denver Nuggets have been fun to watch since firing Brian Shaw. They hung with a shorthanded Golden State Warriors squad on Friday and outlasted them in the fourth, winning, 114-103. They won the battle, and Faried won the war.