LOS ANGELES -- That celebration commemorating the Dallas Mavericks’ 15th playoff appearance in the last 16 years will have to wait for now.
No such Hollywood-style ending occurred Sunday afternoon for the Mavs, whose third-quarter meltdown at the Staples Center made sure of that.
Utilizing a stingy defense and a patient offense, the Los Angeles Clippers put on a clinic in the third quarter and went on to post a 98-91 victory over the Mavs before a sellout crowd of 19,170.
The loss snapped the Mavs’ six-game winning streak and set up a huge showdown for Dallas at 8 p.m Monday in Utah against the Jazz.
The Mavs (41-39) remain in seventh place in the Western Conference standings, and the Jazz (40-40) are seeded eighth.
The Houston Rockets (39-41) sit on the outside looking in as the No. 9 seed, but they could still secure a playoff spot if they win their last two games and the Mavs lose their last two.
A Mavs win or a Rockets loss will clinch a playoff spot for Dallas.
BOX SCORE: Mavs vs. Clippers stats
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