On November 13, 2014, the Dallas Mavericks completely dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half. Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis led the way with 15 and 14 points, respectively, as the duo scored the same amount of points as the entire 76ers roster. Three other players — Chandler Parsons, Tyson Chandler and Brandan Wright — chipped in with nine points, and in the blink of an eye, the Mavs led by 44 points at the halftime buzzer. It wasn't quite the largest halftime lead in league history, but it was pretty damn close.
Six years later, however, the Mavericks made sure that the record was theirs. And while the first showing came against the Process-era, miserable 76ers, the 2020 performance came against a highly talented roster with championship aspirations.
At halftime in Sunday's matchup against the Kawhi Leonard-less Los Angeles Clippers, Luka Doncic and company made sure to put the game out of reach early. At the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks led by a punishing 36-13 count.
And at the conclusion of the second quarter, the Mavericks led by a casual 50 points, with a 77-27 tally on the board.
According to Basketball Reference, the previous record was owned by the 1991 Golden State Warriors, who were leading the Sacramento Kings by 47 points en route to an eventual 62-point thrashing. The full list of 40-point halftime leads in the shot clock era is as follows:
Though the Mavericks got out to a slow 0-2 start on the season, Sunday's incredible showing is a sign of what this explosive team is capable of when the system is firing on all cylinders.
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