$2 Billion New Arena Debut! Clippers Secure 3rd Straight Win, Harden Scores 10 Points with 12 Assists and 6 Turnovers, Klay Scores 0 Points with 4 Turnovers

During the 2024-25 NBA preseason, a spotlight game took place where the Los Angeles Clippers debuted their $2 billion new arena, welcoming the Dallas Mavericks. The main letdown was that both teams missed their superstars: Kawhi Leonard was still out for the Clippers, and Luka Dončić along with Kyrie Irving did not play for the Mavericks. The Clippers relied on James Harden as the sole leader, with Mann, Jones, Zubac, and Powell starting. The Mavericks started with Klay, Washington, Lively, Hardy, and Gottman.

In the first quarter, both teams struggled with outside shooting; the Clippers hit only one three-pointer, but their interior efficiency was high, with all attempts inside the paint and only three misses, scoring 25 points overall. Harden shot 1-for-6 in the quarter, scoring just 3 points, but he delivered 5 assists and added 2 steals. The Mavericks performed slightly better from beyond the arc, hitting 3 out of 7 attempts, while their inside scoring relied on drives to the basket with average accuracy. After the first quarter, the Mavericks led by 1 point.

In the second quarter, the Clippers' offense improved. Harden's scoring remained low, shooting 1-for-5, but his playmaking remained elite, adding another 5 assists. Under his orchestration, the Clippers scored both inside and outside, hitting 4 of 5 three-pointers and generating numerous interior opportunities, totaling 31 points for the quarter. By halftime, no Clippers player had reached double-digit scoring, but multiple contributors emerged. At the half, the Clippers led 56-51 by 5 points.

After halftime, the Clippers largely abandoned outside shooting in the third quarter, attempting only four three-pointers and making one. Scoring mainly came from attacking the basket with high efficiency, missing just three shots. Conversely, the Mavericks focused their firepower on perimeter shots but with low accuracy, hitting only 3 out of 11 attempts. By the end of the quarter, the Clippers extended their lead to 83-75, ahead by 8 points.

In the final quarter, the Clippers removed all starters, while the Mavericks kept some in play. Coffey and Dunn scored 4 consecutive points, pushing the lead to double digits. At a crucial moment, Lively drew fouls and made two free throws, followed by a Clippers surge widening the gap. Later, the Mavericks also rotated extensively, leaving only Gottman among the starters. Mavericks' offense became chaotic, relying on isolations and repeatedly failing. The Clippers steadily expanded the lead to 16 points. Prosper scored on a drive, prompting a Clippers timeout. After the break, the Clippers scored consecutively to secure control, ultimately defeating the Mavericks 110-96 for their third preseason win.

In this game, Harden played 23 minutes, shooting 3-for-12 with 10 points, 2 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals, and 6 turnovers. Klay played 21 minutes, shooting 0-for-9 without scoring, adding 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 4 turnovers.