Irving returns as the Mavs use a balanced attack to defeat the Clippers 113-97

With Kyrie Irving back in the lineup Saturday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks offense ran much more smoothly This happened during Thursday’s 23-point loss to the Clippers.

Irving scored 15 points and dished out six assists, and the Mavs were able to split their two-game set against LA, defeating the Clippers 113-97 in front of a sellout crowd of 20,102 at the American Airlines Center. The win increased the Mavs’ record to 18-10 and made them winners in 13 of their last 16 games.

The Mavs looked much more balanced with Irving back in the lineup after he missed Thursday’s game with right shoulder soreness. They were able to make their offense more effective, and Irving drew some double teams that left his teammates plenty of room to make jump shots or forays to the basket.

“Kyrie is Kyrie, man,” forward Naji Marshall said. “He’s like the engine and we just follow him. He simply showed us the way tonight.

“He’s a great leader for us young guys – guys who have only been in the league for a minute – and we just follow him. I’m glad to have him back.”

Irving even took on the responsibility of guarding James Harden, the Clippers’ top scoring guard. Harden ended up scoring 19 points on just 6 of 18 shooting — he was 2 of 9 from downtown — and he also turned the ball over a whopping seven times.

“Kai had a few days off, so his energy level was high, and he was up for the challenge tonight and did a really good job on defense and offense,” coach Jason Kidd said. “He had a good look that he just didn’t like, but I liked his activity on defense tonight. It was really, really good.”

Mavs reserve guard Quentin Grimes was also really, really good. During a three-minute, three-second span in the fourth quarter, Grimes scored 14 of his team-high 20 points, increasing the Mavs’ lead to 95-80 with 7:13 to play.

Grimes made three three-pointers in that span, hit three free throws after being fouled attempting a three-pointer, and then scored when his attempted lob pass to Dereck Lively II ended up in the basket before reaching Lively could .

“What makes it even better is that your teammates are pulling for you and everyone is more happy for you than they are for themselves,” said Grimes, who scored seven of eight baskets. “When you have teammates that bring that energy and want to see you succeed, it makes it a lot easier for me to go out there and just have it It’s fun and everyone goes out and just has fun.”

And in a fourth quarter in which they scored 39 points, the Mavs had a lot of fun. Even after Norman Powell (29 points) hit two free throws and the Clippers got within 100-94 of the Mavs with 4:41 left, no one on the North Texas team seemed stressed.

Klay Thompson (16 points, four steals) received a pass from Irving and shot a three-pointer shortly afterwards. Then Spencer Dinwiddie (15 points) hit three free throws, PJ Washington (10 points) hammered home a dunk, Thompson drilled another three-pointer and Dinwiddie scored inside to increase the Mavs’ cushion to 113-96.

It was a night in which eight Mavs players scored 10 or more points in a game for the second time this season, while the Clippers fell to 16-13 and were just 10 of 37 from downtown.

“(We) just trusted the pass and trusted the person to make the next play and trusted the person sitting on the bench to get one,” said Lively, who had 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two completed steals and two blocks. “No matter who is on the floor, we are all aggressive, we are all trying. . .Playing Mavs basketball and that’s what got us this far.”

The Mavs shot 45.5 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range and outscored the Clippers 43-40. Marshall, who scored 12 points, said the Mavs were “mostly just moving and getting stops.” I think if we get stops, we can get anything we want.

“I think that’s what drives us. If we can come out of the gate and make stops, I think it will be a good night for us.”

After seven points from Marshall and solid defense, the Mavs had a narrow lead of 23-22 after the first quarter. Then Dallas limited the Clippers to just 18 points in the second quarter as the Mavs led 54-40 at halftime.

“Whether they shot or missed, we were together,” Lively said. “We talked and were aggressive.

“In the last game (against the Clippers), I felt like we were the team that got beat first. In this game we tried to be the team to strike first and we succeeded. We tried to maintain that level of intensity and aggressiveness throughout the game.”

For Kidd, this game was a picture of beauty, especially since his bench outscored the Clipper reserves 46-24.

“It was important for us to return the ball, keep the ball and keep him out of transition,” he said. “That hurt us in the last game.

“I thought the group did a great job of responding to the mistakes we made in that first game.”

The Mavs also did a great job containing Clippers center Ivica Zubac, who has tormented them in the past and was limited to just 13 points after scoring 21 points on 10 of 13 shooting on Thursday.

“I think the way he played in that first game required a reaction, and the two bigs responded positively and made it difficult for him,” Kidd said. “We had some turnovers, we kind of rushed him a little bit.

“He missed some shots he made in that first game, but I thought the activity from our bigs and the physicality was a lot better tonight.”

Zubac was 6 of 10 from the field, and Lively said he and center Daniel Gafford were “just being aggressive, just trying to get him off his line, taking him off his spots before he gets the ball and making it difficult.” “Having done this takes him out of his comfort zone.”

And with point guard Luka Dončić missing his second straight game due to a bruised left heel, the Mavs were able to stay stable and upright long enough to withstand whatever the Clippers threw their way. Irving’s return certainly helped in that regard.

“It was definitely important to get a W today after losing on Thursday,” Marshall said. “We played Dallas Mavericks basketball and you see the results.”

X: @DwainPrice