real credit as to why such a stron

DALLAS -- The Los Angeles Clippers have not tired of inflicting fourth-quarter pain on the Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final period to beat the Mavericks 109-103 on Thursday night. Los Angeles has won all three meetings thus far, with second-half rallies in each game. Each meeting has also featured plenty of emotion. On Thursday, the teams combined for six technical fouls charged to players on the floor, three on each team. "We need to start playing like that more often, to tell you the truth," Chris Paul said after leading Los Angeles with 31 points, a night after going 0 for 12 in a two-point loss in New Orleans. "We knew it was going to be a playoff-type game. Theyre not just playing for their playoff lives; were trying to gear up for the playoffs, too." The Clippers got double-doubles from Blake Griffin (18 points, 13 rebounds) and DeAndre Jordan (16 points, 15 rebounds). Los Angeles maintained its one-game lead over Houston for third place in the Western Conference. Vince Carter scored 23 points off the bench for the Mavericks, going 4 for 5 on 3-pointers. Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points but only two in the fourth quarter. "Its tough. Its very frustrating," Carter said. "But we fought like hell to give ourselves a chance to win, and thats all you can do." Samuel Dalembert was questionable going into the game for Dallas because of a stiff back. He started, played 22 minutes and led the Mavericks with 11 rebounds -- all in the first half. The loss dropped Dallas a half-game behind Phoenix and into ninth place in the tight race for the final playoff berths in the West. The score was tied at 81 going into the final period before the Mavericks ran off the first 10 points. Los Angeles chipped away and tied it at 101 on a drive by Griffin. Dallas then committed a backcourt violation when a pass from Nowitzki back to Jose Calderon near midcourt went astray. Griffin followed with a spinning runner to give the Clippers the lead for good at 103-101. Griffin was pleased with the defence that he played on Nowitzki, who was 7 for 15 from the floor. "For the past how many years, everything Ive heard is the things I couldnt do," he said. "One of the many things I cant do is play defence. "I take pride in the things I cant do. I just use that as motivation." The Clippers victory Thursday was their least dramatic in the series so far. They outscored the Mavericks 16-2 down the stretch to win by seven points in the first meeting on Jan. 5. Twelve days later, they rallied from 17 points down to win by two. A shoving match broke out early in the third quarter after the Mavericks brought the ball into the forecourt. Paul pushed Dallas Shawn Marion, who knocked into the Clippers Matt Barnes while falling over the end line. Barnes and Marion then had words, and Barnes shoved Marion. Paul, Marion and Barnes were all assessed technical fouls. "I just think its been a heated battle," Barnes said. "They had us down in the fourth three times, and theyre playing for the playoffs." Clippers coach Doc Rivers noted his team responded after Wednesday nights last-minute loss to the depleted Pelicans. "You could see our guys were fresh," Rivers said. "In a joking way, we should have been fresh because we didnt use a lot (Wednesday) night." The Mavericks are 3-3 on a franchise-record, eight-game homestand, having opened the stretch in seventh place with a 1 1/2-game cushion on ninth-place Phoenix. "Its basically the next game becomes the most important game of the year," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "Thats just how it is going to be, every one down the stretch." The Mavericks will then close the season with five road games among their final seven. That includes one more game against the Clippers, at Staples Center on April 3. "We have one more chance," Calderon said. "Hopefully, next week maybe we can beat these guys." NOTES: The Clippers J.J. Redick, out since early February with a back injury, said he hopes to return before the end of the season. . Nowitzki, a 91.8 per cent shooter from the free throw line going into the game, was 6 for 10, equaling his most misses this season. Patrice Bergeron Jersey . -- Brendan Leipsic had two goals and an assist and Nicolas Petan extended his point streak to 11 games as the Portland Winterhawks slipped past the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. Brad Marchand Canada Jersey . Saltalamacchia has agreed to a $21 million, three-year deal with the Miami Marlins, two people familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday. http://www.hockeyteamcanadajerseystore.com/maurice-richard-Canada-jersey/ . The incident occurred at 6:28 of the first period in Anaheims 6-3 home win over Dallas on Sunday. Garbutt left the penalty box and skated at Penner before leaving his skates to deliver a check. Wayne Gretzky Jersey . Jovanovski, the 2012 champ seeded fifth, will meet surprise Japanese qualifier Misa Eguchi on Friday. Eguchi, ranked 183rd, qualified for her first WTA main draw this week, then beat No. Steven Stamkos World Cup Jersey . The alley-oop looked easy -- just like everything else after halftime for the Miami Heat. James scored 32 points, Wade added 22 points and eight assists, and the Heat trailed by 11 early in the second half before running away to a 107-88 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- The PGA Tour season began five months ago. The new year is two months old. And yet theres something about the Honda Classic that makes Tiger Woods and a collection of stars feel as though its all about to get underway. "I think once we get to Florida, I think were all thinking about our way to Augusta," Woods said. Six tournaments remaining before the Masters, the first major of the year, and this is now serious business. It shows in the strength of the field at PGA National, with seven of the top 10 players from the world ranking. The last time Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott competed in the same tournament was the BMW Championship near Chicago last summer. Thats how it was a generation ago, when some of golfs top players either rested or played overseas early in the season, and then showed up in tropical conditions at Doral to start the official road to Augusta National. Woods has plenty of work to do based on his early performance -- a missed 54-hole cut at Torrey Pines in his lone PGA Tour start this year, followed by a dismal performance by his standards at the Dubai Desert Classic, where he tied for 41st. He conceded that he spent most of his winter break working on his body instead of his golf. Since returning from overseas earlier this month, Woods said he has spent most of his time working on his short game. Woods isnt the only player coming off a substantial break. Scott, the defending champion at Augusta, hasnt competed since the Sony Open in Honolulu. He spent the following week on the Big Island, surfing and playing a few casual rounds with his buddies, then killed time on the couch or doing anything not related to golf until it was time to get back to work. He plans to play three of the next four tournaments. "After three weeks I kind of felt like I needed to start swinging again and started to get the itch, but I think I timed it pretty well because Ive had a nice couple weeks of intense practice before getting here and a week of playing with some mates before that," Scott said. "I feel like Ive had a nice preparation, but this is a very tough test, and itss probably not the ideal one to float back in off after an extended break.dddddddddddd" PGA National looks to have as much blue (water) as green (grass), and the course is converted into a par 70 at 7,140 yards for the Honda Classic. Michael Thompson won last year at 9-under 271. It wouldnt seem to favour Mickelson, who has not played PGA National since he was an amateur. Mickelson missed the last two weeks because his kids were on spring break, spending some of that time skiing and some of that playing golf. He did not want to fly out from California for one tournament next week at Doral, so he added the Honda Classic. "The greens are really immaculate," Mickelson said. "If you get hot with a putter, you can make a lot of putts. But I do like the golf course. Ive always liked Nicklaus-designed golf courses. I know this course he renovated or redesigned years ago, and its a wonderful test of golf, and I think thats a real credit as to why such a strong field continues to come here." This is only the third time Woods has played the Honda Classic as a pro. He rallied with a 62 in the final round in 2012 to finish behind McIlroy, and then struggled off the tee -- particularly on the sixth hole -- a year ago when he tied for 37th. McIlroy has his own set of memories from PGA National, not all of them good. Even though he won in 2012 to become No. 1 in the world for the first time, he followed that by playing 26 holes last year before walking off the course with his game in disrepair and his business affairs not much better. McIlroy said it was a mistake to quit, something he wont ever do again. But the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland is in a better frame of mind this year. He is comfortable with his equipment. Hes engaged. He has settled into his own management (though he still is going through a legal battle with his old firm). And he is playing like the guy everyone expected to be the biggest threat to Woods. "Im in a better place," McIlroy said. "And I feel like when my game is in a good place, everything else can sort of fall in line with that. It makes me feel more comfortable about everything." 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