(Sports Network) - The playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks kick off an important two-day tour of Staples Center Wednesday by squaring off with the Clippers.
The Mavs, who are one game behind the two-time defending champion Lakers for the second slot in the Western Conference playoff race, will then take on Kobe and Company on Thursday.
Dallas comes to Hollywood on a four-game winning streak and improved to 2-0 on an important season-long, six-game road trip by topping Phoenix in the desert on Sunday. Jason Kidd took over late in the fourth quarter of that one, scoring the game's final eight points, as the Mavs earned a 91-83 victory.
Kidd finished with 16 points for Dallas, which overcame a subpar shooting performance to notch the win. Jason Terry and Tyson Chandler also scored 16 points in the win, with Chandler grabbing 18 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki contributed 15 points on just 6-of-19 shooting for the Mavs, who improved to an NBA-best 26-10 on the road this season.
"These kinds of games come down to will and toughness and I give our guys a lot of credit," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Our shots weren't falling all night."
The Clippers, meanwhile, won the opener of a brief two-game homestand Saturday when Blake Griffin powered his way to 22 points and 16 rebounds, as LA rallied late for a 94-90 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Chris Kaman added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who went on a 24-10 run over the game's final 8 1/2 minutes. Griffin had eight points and eight rebounds in the last quarter, when the hosts held a 28-17 scoring advantage.
"Down the stretch we executed and got some stops," Griffin said. "I'm really trying to work on being a better fourth quarter player."
Dallas has won eight straight and 14 of 15 over the Clippers. The club has also taken its last four in LA versus the Clips by an average of over 17 points a game.