DirtyDiverDiver » past Howard that counted as Karlsson needed

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. NMD Shoes From China . On Thursday theyll learn even more. Despite the cloud of uncertainty that has followed them around from the moment general manager Masai Ujiri was brought in to put his stamp on the franchise, the Raptors have surpassed all pre-season expectations. NMD Cheap Authentic . He was attracted by the punishing defence, the strong running game and a coaching staff he trusted. The 49ers announced Thursday that Manningham had signed a two-year deal to join the team he helped knock out in the NFC championship game two months ago in their latest offensive upgrade at wide receiver. http://www.cheapnmd.net/ . Starting from pole, the 26-year-old Vettel turned in a trademark clinical performance to win the Indian Grand Prix on Sunday and join F1 greats Juan Manuel Fangio and Michael Schumacher as just the third driver to win four consecutive championships. NMD Shoes Clearance . She still remembers the massive roar of the home crowd when the Canadians walked out on the pitch before 47,784 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in 2002. Lang expects a similar reception for the Canadian team as the host nation at this years tournament, which begins Tuesday. Cheap NMD Shoes Wholesale . Coverage on TSN is underway now while action resumes on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. TSN GO also offers TSN subscribers bonus online coverage, with live streams of all four venues.OTTAWA - The Ottawa Senators would have had Tuesdays game against the Detroit Red Wings wrapped up in the first period if it wasnt for Jimmy Howard.Instead, nothing was decided until late in the game — despite the fact the Senators held a 16-2 shot advantage in the opening 20 minutes.Patrick Wierciochs first goal of the season was the game winner as he moved in from the point and beat Howard with a wrist shot with less than six minutes to play in regulation as the Senators beat the Red Wings 3-1 at Canadian Tire Centre.Niklas Kronwall hit a post that would have tied the game just seconds later but, as the Red Wings continued to press for the equalizer, Clarke MacArthur scored into an empty net at 19:02 to give the Senators the win.We didnt skate and when you dont skate its tough to win battles. We didnt even play in the first period, said Kronwall.Erik Karlsson also had a goal as well as an assist for the Senators (6-3-2) while Craig Anderson made 31 saves.Henrik Zetterberg had the lone goal for the Red Wings (6-3-3) as he beat Anderson with a backhand at 3:34 of the third period to tie the game. Howard finished with 30 saves.I liked the way we moved the puck out of our zone tonight. We fumbled around with it a little in the second and the third but I thought in the first we were direct, passes getting out and it makes it tough for them to forecheck, MacArthur said.It was a great game, he added. They have a great hockey team over there with a lot of speed and every line there are guys that are dangerous. Andy (Anderson) is a top-end goalie in this league and he showed it. For us to get that in regulation is a great feeling.With the game tied 1-1, Anderson bailed out Karlsson with an acrobatic save off Tomas Jurco following a two-on-one that was created by a Karlsson give away at the Detroit blue-line.Anderson was particularly busy through the final 40 minutes of the game as 30 of the 32 shots he faced came during the second and third periods.The Senators certainly deserved a better reward than a scoreless tie following their first-period performance that saw them heavily outshoot the Red Wings.Howard was espeecially good during a nearly four-minute span in the second half of the period when the Red Wings took consecutive penalties.dddddddddddd.The Senators had a brief five-on-three advantage for 20 seconds during that span but were unable to generate anything as they lost the initial face-off after the second penalty and the Red Wings were able to ice the puck.Kyle Turris beat Howard early in the second period but, by the time Turris took his shot, Howard was lying face down in the net having been run into by a sliding Brendan Smith.The goal was waved off as Howard was hurt on the play, however he did stay in the game and stopped Turris on a short-handed breakaway a few moments later.They really dictated the play. They really skated in the first period and we didnt, Howard said.Its tough to get the puck into the offensive zone when theyre catching you from behind all the time. We did not do a good job getting the puck out at our blue-line and getting it in at theirs, he added. The Senators finally got one past Howard that counted as Karlsson needed just 37 seconds of a power play to score on a shot from the point at 14:37 of the second. Turris picked up a bit of redemption with the primary assist.The way this game went it gives us momentum going forward even though this game was see-sawed, Senators coach Paul MacLean said. I though the last eight minutes our leadership group did a really good job of settling things down, getting us the game and bringing this home. We deserved this.The win also halted a two-game losing streak for the Senators while the Red Wings have now lost two straight.Notes: Colin Greening, Mark Borowiecki and Alex Chiasson were scratches for the Senators while Daniel Cleary, Kyle Quincy and Andrej Nestrasil were scratches for the Red Wings...With his second period assist, Turris now has 99 for his career…Tuesdays meeting was the 30th all-time between the Senators and Red Wings, 18 of which have been won by the Red Wings…Ottawas general manager Bryan Murray was Detroits head coach from 1990-93 and Ottawas current coach, Paul MacLean, was an assistant with Detroit from 2005-11. ' ' '