Grimes was on the heater in the 16-point win over the Clippers

Needless to say, Dallas Mavericks guard Quentin Grimes was on top of his game Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

So much so that when Grimes attempted a lob pass to Dereck Lively II early in the fourth quarter, the ball somehow found its way through the basket before it could reach Lively.

“I tried to throw the lob to (Lively) and someone threw it in and I get the points,” Grimes said. “So sometimes it’s luck of the draw.

“I had good energy out there on the field.”

Such was Grimes’ energy that he scored 14 of his team-high 20 points in three minutes and three seconds in the fourth quarter. During that time, he sank three three-pointers and made three free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer. He was also credited with the basket on his attempted lob pass to Lively.

“I’m completely locked in,” said Grimes, who hit 7 of 8 shots. “I’m just trying to focus on the next play and get a stop defensively, and if they can find me next time like Kyrie (Irving) did when he came down the court, then that’s what it is .”

“I just try to stay in the flow and not get too high or too low. If it comes around, I’ll definitely shoot it. I’m definitely trying to stay balanced in this moment.”

For his part, Lively couldn’t do anything but smile after Grimes’ aforementioned lob was broken away – and into the basket in the Mavs’ 113-97 win over the Clippers.

“We’re trying to make that connection, but I suspect he had a connection to the rim,” Lively said. “He got a lucky tip there.

“These are punches that we throw. It gives us energy. We smile, we come back and play defense after those plays, so we have to take them and get as many as we can.”

KIDD mourns HENDERSON: Former Major League Baseball player Rickey Henderson, who made a career of being flamboyant and stealing bases, died Friday at age 65.

Henderson, a Hall of Famer, played for nine different teams for 25 years and had four different stints with the Oakland A’s. Mavs coach Jason Kidd grew up in Oakland watching Henderson play.

“It’s sad to hear the news about Rickey Henderson – an Oakland legend and also a legend in Major League Baseball,” Kidd said. “Growing up as kids, we wanted to steal all the bases like Rickey Henderson – wiggling his fingers to let you know he was going.

“We have unfortunately unexpectedly lost a great person and a legend. Our wishes and prayers go out to the Henderson family.”

Henderson was a 10-time All-Star who led the majors in stolen bases 12 times. He is also baseball’s all-time leader in stolen bases with 1,406 and set a single-season record with 130 stolen bases in 1982.

“As a kid growing up and loving playing baseball, we all wanted to steal bases like Rickey,” Kidd said. “Unfortunately I couldn’t get that low in the baseball stance.”

Henderson, the leadoff hitter in the lineup, also surprised many with his hitting power as he hit a record 81 leadoff home runs in his illustrious career

“If you were a leadoff hitter, you wanted to be Rickey Henderson, and he was one of the best leadoff hitters in the game,” Kidd said. “He often hit a powerful home run, so it was always fun to watch.”

EXUM WITH – THE LEFT HAND?: One positive statement from the surgeon Dante Exum wore on his right wrist in training camp is that he may be coming back to be a more skilled player when using his left hand.

Before Saturday’s game, coach Jason Kidd said Exum was “out there doing everything as a left-handed hitter, so he works extremely hard.” He looks great. He will likely come back as a left-handed hitter. Just kidding.

“But he works. Hopefully at some point he will be able to use the hand he had surgery on again, but he is doing a lot of work on the floor and his trend is going in the right direction.”

Exum was expected to play a major role in the Mavs’ rotation this season, but was injured during training camp. In 55 games with the Mavs last season, he averaged 7.8 points while shooting a career-high 53.3 percent from the field and a career-high 49.1 percent from three-point land.

LUE praises Kidd: Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue has noted how dangerous the Mavs have become in the three-plus years Jason Kidd has been their coach.

Kidd became the Mavs’ coach before the 2021-22 season, and the Mavs reached the Western Conference Finals that season and the NBA Finals last season.

“They’ve gotten better every year,” Lue said. “I think when J-Kidd took over, (the Mavs) just had that defensive mindset, that defensive approach. And then After reaching the final last year, they have gotten better every year.

“He had to figure out how Luka (Dončić) was going to play, how they were going to use him, how they were going to get him into his offense. But J-Kidd did a great job. He’s one of the best coaches in the league and he showed that last year when they got to the final.”

Kidd produced two 50-win seasons and a Southwest Division title with the Mavs, compiling a 158-116 win-loss record, a winning percentage of 57.7.

MEAGER: During a break in play in the fourth quarter on Saturday, Mavs forward Naji Marshall was whistled for a technical foul. “That was my fault,” Marshall said. “I just ran away for a bit. I deserve it. I also said to the referee afterwards: “Thank you very much.” “. .The Mavs have two more games in this four-game homestand – Monday against Portland and Wednesday against Minnesota.

X: @DwainPrice