ORLANDO, Fla. _ Clippers center Ivica Zubac slipped toward the rim Thursday night and, catching a pass, dunked with both hands as a chorus of yells erupted from his team's bench in the opposite corner inside HP Field House.
Dallas immediately called a timeout, its deficit now eight points with four minutes to play in the third quarter. But before Zubac could reach a padded seat for a moment of rest, teammate Joakim Noah came off the bench and delivered a two-handed shove to Zubac's chest. The two centers smiled.
It was one of the few moments Thursday, during a 126-111 Clippers victory, when Zubac encountered resistance getting where he wanted to be. The young center made all his 10 shots to finish with 21 points, tying Charles Smith for the most field goals made in a game as a Clipper without a miss. He also grabbed 15 rebounds _ including six on the offensive glass, only a few less than the Mavericks' entire roster managed.
"He was phenomenal," coach Doc Rivers said.
Normally, late in a third quarter, it would be Zubac coming off the bench to celebrate the tide-turning play of a teammate. But with backup center Montrezl Harrell yet to rejoin the team, Rivers has played Zubac deeper into games. Two days earlier, the decision backfired following Zubac's costly last-possession turnover in a loss to Phoenix, a moment that marred an otherwise sterling game.
Thursday, however, Zubac was dominant from start to finish.
"It felt good, man," he said.
