Every time an NBA team steps out on the court, it wants to win and take care of business, especially at home.
But the Mavericks' 118-108 win in Dallas over the Clippers on Wednesday wasn’t business — it was personal.
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Dallas fans, and team owner Mark Cuban, have had this game circled on their calendars since Clippers center DeAndre Jordan decided to return to Los Angeles after agreeing to sign with the Mavs in the offseason.
The Mavericks got their revenge because Dirk Nowitzki turned back the clock with a 31-point, 11-rebound performance that showed he's still a force even at 37.
As for Jordan, he heard the boo-birds from the start. His nine points and 11 rebounds were slightly below his season averages, and the Clippers lost their third game in the last four outings.
In short, the Big D got "The Big Payback" at the American Airlines Center.
Tweet of the night
At least Cuban wasn't coming at Jordan this time:
Mark Cuban on misreporting about DeAndre Jordan: "You mean Chris Broussard? He's an idiot. I take that back. My sources say he's an idiot."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) November 12, 2015Stud of the night
Nowitzki could easily be the choice here, but we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins let his game do the talking after apologizing for his tirade against coach George Karl. He scored 33 points, hitting 4 of 5 attempts from the 3-point line, and pulled down nine rebounds as the Kings got a sorely needed 101-92 win over the Pistons.
Dud of the night
Mike Conley had as many points as turnovers (four), hitting just 1 of 12 attempts from the field, as the Grizzlies fell to the Warriors, 100-84.
Looking ahead (all times Eastern):
Warriors (9-0) at Timberwolves (4-3), 8 p.m.: The young Wolves will get a chance to test their bite against the defending champions, who will be looking to get off to a 10-0 start.
Clippers (5-3) at Suns (3-4), 10:30 p.m.: The struggling Clippers will try to get a victory against the Suns, who have also lost three of their last four.