CLIPPERS GO FLAT IN TODD'S DEBUT; MAVERICKS CONTINUE MASTERY OVER L.A. DALLAS 119, CLIPPERS 106.

Byline: Associated Press 

Erick Strickland scored 22 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 20 as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Clippers 119-106 Saturday night at Staples Center.

It was the Clippers' first game since Chris Ford was fired as head coach and replaced on an interim basis by assistant Jim Todd. It also marked the debut of former defensive specialist Dennis Johnson, an owner of three NBA championship rings, as Clippers assistant coach.

Michael Finley had 19 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Dallas won for the sixth time in seven games. With their 19th victory, the Mavericks matched their win total from last season, which was shortened to 50 games by a lockout.

Dallas made 10 3-pointers in beating the Clippers for the fifth straight time.

Maurice Taylor scored 17 points for the Clippers, who lost for the 17th time in 19 games.

Dallas never trailed, shooting 55 percent in the first half en route to a 67-51 lead. Cedric Ceballos paced the Mavericks in the half with 15 points, Nowitzki contributed 13, and Strickland hit a 3-pointer with less than a second on the clock.

Derek Anderson, who scored a career-high 35 points in a losing cause against the Mavericks on Jan. 27 at Reunion Arena, missed nine of his first 10 shots - including a slam-dunk attempt with 5:56 to play - and finished with seven points.

--Notes: Ford is the first head coach who failed to last at least 100 games with the Clippers since Cotton Fitzsimmons, who coached the entire 1977-78 campaign before Gene Shue was hired in the offseason. The Clippers have had 10 full-time head coaches since then. . . . This is only the fourth time in Donald Sterling's 19 years as owner that the Clippers have changed coaches in midseason. Jim Lynam was fired after six straight losses in 1984-85 and replaced by Don Chaney, who lost his first five games. Shue, in his second stint as Clippers head coach, lost his last 11 games in 1988-89 before Don Casey lost his first eight and 21 of his first 22. Mike Schuler was dismissed in 1991-92 and relieved by assistant Mack Calvin, who ran the team for three games before the Clippers finished the season 23-12 under Larry Brown and rallied to make the playoffs. . . . The Mavericks haven't gotten more than 14 boards in a game from any of their players this season. Dennis Rodman, who is expected to play his first game with the Mavericks on Wednesday against Seattle, averaged 16.5 rebounds over his previous eight seasons.

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Photo: Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, left, is fouled by the Clippers' Anthony Avent during Dallas' 119-106 win.

John Hayes/Associated Press

Chart: Game recap