Clippers extend home win streak to seven

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The acquisition of 14-year veteran Kenny Anderson has given the Los Angeles Clippers one more player who knows what to do with a basketball in the fourth quarter -- and how to hold onto a lead.

Corey Maggette scored 34 points and Clippers beat Dallas 101-92 on Wednesday night in Anderson's debut, increasing their home winning streak to seven and snapping the Mavericks' six-game road winning streak.

Anderson, who was claimed off waivers Monday from Atlanta, played the first 5:08 of the final period. That was it, but it was enough. He gave Rick Brunson a much-needed rest and helped the Clippers increase a 10-point lead to 13. The Clippers need Anderson's experience and track record if they hope to make a belated playoff push.

"I wish I was here earlier. But I'm here now, so I'm just going to play, do what they want me to do, and hopefully I can give them a little push by being a leader at point guard," Anderson said. "Hopefully, the young guys on this team understand my credentials, my resume, what I've done and how successful I've been in the league."

The Clippers are Anderson's ninth team in 14 NBA seasons, and his sixth in the last four. This is his second stint with coach Mike Dunleavy, who also had him in Portland during the 1997-98 campaign.

"I don't have any control over how many times I've been moved," Anderson said. "It seems like every time I'm having a good year, I get traded. But if I kept worrying about that stuff, I'd lose my mind."

Anderson has had a reduced role the past few years, playing backup to Gary Payton in Boston and Baron Davis in New Orleans. His best season was 1993-94 with New Jersey, when he averaged 18.8 points and 9.6 assists.

"The last time I dominated the ball and made things happen was in Boston three years ago, when we went to the Conference finals," the 34-year-old point guard said. "I haven't been logging heavy minutes like I did in my first 10 years, but I'm really blessed.

"I see a lot of guys my age right now doing different things in the league, and I'm still out here running around healthy, and I'm still a contributor," Anderson added. "I would like to play some significant minutes, and then have people question if I can't do something. Then I'll look at myself in the mirror and say, `Maybe it's over.' But I haven't had that realization yet."

The Clippers, beginning a stretch of nine consecutive games against teams with a better record, won for the third time in four games after losing eight straight. They got 19 points and 10 rebounds from Elton Brand and beat the Mavericks for the second straight time, after losing 20 of the previous 24 meetings.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points for the Mavericks, and Jason Terry had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Jerry Stackhouse added 11 points in 20 minutes after missing the previous seven games because of a groin strain. He shot an airball way over the rim from 23 feet on his first attempt and finished 5-for-12 from the field.

"They got points in the paint, they outrebounded us, they just beat us in pretty much every area of the game," Stackhouse said. "We still had a chance late in the game, and were just a couple more shots from maybe making it a little more interesting than we did."

Alan Henderson, beginning his second stint with Dallas this season, had four points in 21 minutes. The Mavericks signed him off waivers on Tuesday, just five days after trading him and Calvin Booth to Milwaukee for Keith Van Horn.

"This is my 10th year, so I've seen lots of stuff. Anything can happen in this league," Henderson said. "When it happened, I just hoped I'd wind up in a good situation. And I'm glad that it worked out where I'm back here."

Trailing by 14 at halftime, the Mavericks cut it to 73-68 with a 12-2 run capped by Nowitzki's three-point play with 4:03 left in the third quarter. But that was as close as they got.

Anderson recorded his first assist for the Clippers on a driving layup by Maggette that gave Los Angeles an 85-75 lead with 9:24 to play. They pulled ahead by 16 with an 8-2 run capped by Brand's 16-footer with 5:10 left.

The Mavericks wouldn't quit despite going more than 5 minutes without a field goal in the fourth quarter. Terry made a three-point play and a 3-point shot 27 seconds apart, slicing the margin to six at 96-90 with 2:38 left. But the Clippers clinched it at the free-throw line.

Maggette helped Los Angeles build a 60-46 halftime lead with 21 points. He capped his 14-point first quarter with a buzzer-beating 17-footer, part of a 13-0 run that increased the Clippers' four-point margin to 40-23 with 9:49 left in the second quarter.

Game notes
The Mavericks will return to Staples Center on Friday night to play the Lakers, who won 27 consecutive home games against Dallas before the streak ended on Dec. 12, 2003. The Mavericks haven't won back-to-back road games against the Lakers since the 1983-84 season. ... The Clippers have won seven straight at home for the first time since the 1996-97 season.