Dallas has the league's top scoring bench, averaging 37.7 points, putting it in good position to outlast teams that have been hurt by injuries.

The Mavericks got 39 points from their reserves on Friday night, but lost 97-88 to a Utah club that was without its top three scorers and rebounders in Carlos Boozer (quadriceps), Paul Millsap (knee) and Mehmet Okur (back).

Dallas won the opener of its trip, 102-94 over Portland on Thursday night, and didn't arrive until early Friday in snowy Salt Lake City, so the Mavericks may have been weary from travel. After a day off, Dallas will try to beat another team playing at less than full strength.

Los Angeles (8-20) has been without center Chris Kaman (foot) and guard Ricky Davis (knee), and lost another backcourt player Monday when Mike Taylor fractured his right thumb. Taylor will miss at least eight weeks, while Kaman and Davis aren't expected back until at least January.

To make matters worse, Zach Randolph is day-to-day after bruising his left knee in a 97-75 loss to Toronto on Monday night. The Clippers can't afford to lose Randolph, averaging 23.1 points in 14 games since being acquired in a trade with New York on Nov. 21.

"He's our horse," Los Angeles point guard Baron Davis said. "He's the guy we're going to go to on the block, so we want him to have the ball because he scores on anybody and he makes good decisions. So anytime you lose your horse, your go-to guy, it's tough."

Davis, averaging a team-best 18.0 points, would have to pick up even more of the scoring burden if Randolph can't play. Losing the veteran big man would be bad news for the Clippers, who have reached the 20-loss mark before Christmas for the fourth time since moving to Los Angeles in 1984-85 and the first time since 1997-98.

Davis is averaging 15.0 points and shooting 26.2 percent in his last four games. However, he has scored 22 points in each of Los Angles' two games versus Dallas this season.

The Clippers beat the Mavs 103-92 at home on Nov. 9, but lost the teams' next contest 100-98 at Dallas on Dec. 2. Reserve J.J. Barea hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute as the Mavs rallied from a 15-point deficit in that game.

Dallas' bench, though, wasn't able to save the team against Utah. The Mavs were also down a man down the stretch when Dirk Nowitzki was called for a flagrant foul under the basket early in the fourth quarter.

Nowitzki had 17 points and eight rebounds before he was tossed for backhanding Matt Harpring with 9:48 left in the game after Kyrylo Fesenko scored on an offensive rebound.

The former MVP is averaging 31.0 points against Los Angeles this season.