DALLAS, March 23 (UPI) -- Jason Kidd scored 26 points and had 12 assists Tuesday to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 106-96 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 26 points were a season-high for Kidd, who took charge after Dirk Nowitzki was sent off in the third quarter with two technical fouls. Nowitzki scored 18 and Jason Terry added 14 points and seven assists.
Drew Gooden led the Clippers with 26 points and 20 rebounds. Chris Kaman added 22 points and nine rebounds.
Los Angeles has lost 10 of its last 11 games, but made a bid to steal a victory against a Dallas team that has climbed into a tie for the No. 2 playoff seed in the Western Conference.
The Clippers trailed 62-48 at halftime but outscored Dallas 29-14 in the third quarter and led 77-76 at the start of the fourth. Dallas outscored the Clips 30-19 in the final quarter, including a 13-3 run to start the period.
