Mavs 113, Clippers 103

[mavsluvr]

Interesting cat and mouse game about lineups.  How many times has someone (KP, THJ on JJR's podcast, Carlisle) made some mention of Powell starting in the last week (moving KP to PF).  Instead, we get a lineup the team hasn't used all season.  We had the usual KP at center and when he wasn't in, WCS got 4 minutes in the first half and Powell got 7 1/2 half minutes at Center in the second half.  BTW, neither Dwight nor Willie killed it on a +/- basis.  I'll come back to Dwight's time in the late 3rd/early 4th a moment.

Also unexpected was the PF position was covered by Maxi and Melli.  There were 3 minutes of DFS as PF in the first half (+7 with KP/DFS/JRich/THJ and Luka)

THJ as a starter worked.  The starters were +7 in Q1, were never in all together in Q-2, were +1 to start the third and were +5 in the fourth (it would have been more, but Jalen was a situational sub in the final minute for Maxi first and then KP and the team went +3).  The team was +19 any time KP and Luka were in together.

Brunson was not able to hold it together when he ran the show without Luka.  JRich was basically Dorian's backup.  Almost all of Richardson's minutes came with DFS out and there were no minutes where we didn't have one of them.

Obviously if our starters killed it, the bench must not have been good.  LAC made a 16-7 run when KP sat in the first quarter and a 9-1 run when he was out in the early 4th.  We were -5 in minutes he sat.  We were -9 in the minutes Luka sat.  The gravity of KP was pretty amazing.  To look like total dog poop for three quarters and be +13 (and the opponent starting center -13), is remarkable.

We did less of the "one star sits" lineups this game, but lost ground when it happened.  That's going to happen when you throw all the best shooters in the starting lineup.  Arguably the most critical period was the late third/early fourth when KP sat.  A lineup of Luka, Maxi, JB, JRich and Powell were plus 4 to end the third.  Then Melli subbed for Maxi to start the fourth and that group went minus five.  That rag-tag group being only -1 for that 7 1/2 minute stretch was huge and set up the starters to all come in and join Luka to finish the game. 

On the other side of the ball, Zubac was rendered useless.  Morris and Beverley were also no help.  The Clipper bench of Jackson, Batum, Ibaka, Batum and Rondo was strong.  Two of those guys, Batum and Rondo, finished the game with Kawhi, Morris and PG.

Thanks for the detailed lineup analysis and the eye-opening takes!