MAVS STUN CLIPPERS IN GAME ONE
DALLAS STEALS HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Mavericks showed the Clippers whom they’ve been looking past, with a solid upset at Staples Center. Sweet revenge!
GAME STORY
All the Mavs were available except Redick, who is expected to be out for the series. Rick Carlisle ended the starting-lineup suspense, surprising the Clippers with a unit which had never been utilized this season: Luka-THJ-DFS-Maxi-KP. Ty Lue chose to run with Pat Bev, PG, Kawhi, Morris, and Zubac.
The Mavericks got off to an intense start, and the Clips looked sloppy. Within the first four minutes, the Clippers had four team fouls, and Beverley had to leave with foul trouble. Halfway through the quarter, Kawhi stole the ball from Maxi, but Zach Zorba deflated #2's smug delight by instead calling him for a foul. At 5:20, a long three by THJ put Dallas ahead by an even dozen, 22-10. The Clippers woke up from their siesta and made a run, as the Mavs bench players took the floor. Maxi was called for his second foul with 25 seconds left, and was replaced with Melli. The first quarter came to an end with Dallas leading 33-30.
J Rich entered the game with 25 seconds left in the first, and opened the Mavs’ second-quarter scoring with a three. For the next few minutes, a lid appeared to be on the basket for both teams. At 7:05, a Rondo three knotted the score at 40-all. A second Rondo three gave the Clips their first lead. Zubac drew a technical foul call at 5:34, and J Rich was on hand to drop the free-throw attempt through the net. A Richardson drive to the basket gave the Mavs a 49-47 edge with 4:47 left. Unfortunately he had a bad turnover subsequently, jumping in the air and throwing the ball to a Clipper. Luka then picked up two quick fouls.The Clippers took their largest lead of the game, 53-49, with 3:32 left. Maxi was called for his third, clipping Kawhi after he had already picked up his dribble, his second dubious foul of the game. Oof. Richardson secured a highlight-reel rebound over Zubac. A Luka three put the Mavs ahead, and Hardaway stretched the advantage with another. Luka put a cherry on top with a third. Richardson fiercely defended Morris in the corner, but Morris’ miss led to Doe-Doe’s third foul on an offensive rebound attempt by Kawhi. Your boys held on for a 60-55 lead at halftime.
The Mavs were super-engaged on both ends of the court in the first half. In a number of instances, the Clippers just made exceptional shots despite determined defense. Six Dallas turnovers hurt the Mavericks, while the Clippers had none. However, the Clips, one of the best three-point shooting teams in history, were 4-18 from long range, while the Mavs hit 10 of 21 attempts. LA countered that with a 26-14 advantage in PIP. Only 8 of Dallas’ 60 points were scored by the bench. Luka led all scorers with 21 points on 8-14 shooting.
Beverly tied the game with a three early in the third. The Mavs responded with an 8-0 run, with Luka taking Zubac to school. Around four minutes in, the Mavs had a zippy possession with a missed KP three, Maxi tipping the rebound to THJ, and Timmy hitting an instant made three, all within the space of 4 seconds! The Mavs were called for their first team foul when Luka hacked Kawhi to prevent a fast break. Luka was pulled with his third foul, to his apparent chagrin, but was back on the court a couple of minutes later. Kawhi hit a thunderous dunk to bring the Clips within two at 3:56. But the Mavs were not intimidated, and held on. J Rich closed the quarter with a dramatic slash to the basket for a layup, and the Mavs were up 86-80 after three. The Clips doubled the Mavs up in three-point attempts (10-5), but it was Dallas who had the edge, hitting four of their five to the Clippers’ three of 10. Maxi and Doe-Doe made it through the quarter with no more fouls.
Luka was called for an offensive foul — his fourth — early in the final frame, but Carlisle challenged. The challenge was successful, and Mavs fans could breathe again. The Mavs failed to capitalize on Kawhi’s rest period, surrendering a 9-3 run to LA. Rondo’s third three gave the Clippers a 97-95 lead at 6:32. Rajon then drew a foul by THJ and split his free throws. DFS was called for his fourth for a push on PG. THJ drew a charge from George. The Clippers challenged, but were unsuccessful. Tim proceeded to take the lead back with a long three with 4 minutes left. DFS had a three to put the Mavs ahead again at 2:50, but was called for his fifth foul on the next possession. Morris obliged by missing both free throws. KP hit two free throws to put Dallas up by 5 at 1:41. THJ blasted to the basket for a bucket to make it seven, but the Clips responded with a bucket of their own. KP had a tomahawk dunk over Kawhi to make it 109-102. Kawhi went one of two from the line in the next possession. Rondo fouled Brunson, who hit both freebies. The Mavs put the game to bed with a 113-103 win!! Spectacularific!! The Mavericks closed on a 16-5 run in the last five minutes.
STATISTICS
Look no further than the long-range shooting stats. Mavs were 52% inside the arc, 47% from three, and 77% from the line. Clips’ comparable percentages were 59-27-75. The vaunted Clippers’ shooters went 11-40 from deep, while Dallas were 17-36. Maverick point differentials were -10 on points from twos, +18 on points from threes, and +2 on made free throws.
Other notable statistics included the Mavs’ 19-10 advantage in second-chance points, and the Clippers 17-5 margin in points off turnovers.
PLAYERS
DONCIC. Playoff Luka came out with a vengeance, putting up 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in a team-high 41 minutes. He was the best player on the court, and imo, it wasn’t close. He kept his composure throughout, and calmly dispatched the opponent. The Clippers had no answer for him. Rick complimented his young phenom for mixing up his scoring, with a combination of jump shots and drives. A true superstar performance!
HARDAWAY. Timmy was hotter than a pepper sprout, recording 21 points on 8-13 shooting, including five threes, and dashing all the way down the court to draw a charge on PG13 in a dramatic hustle play. He more than justified Rick’s trust in him as a member of the starting/closing lineups. The team was +16 when Tim was on the floor, second only to Luka at +19. I look for him to be on the court when Game Two begins.
DFS. Dorian stepped up with a fantastic game, scoring 18 points on scorching 7-9 shooting, including 4 threes, and adding five rebounds and 2 assists to his stat line. Once plagued by a bit of deer-in-the-headlights as a younger player, he showed no fear of the moment, playing intense defense against the Clippers' powerful wings and still hitting timely shots. Doe-Doe has a good case for the Dirkie, although there are several other compelling candidates.
BRUNSON. Jalen had 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench, drawing a team-high 8 free-throw attempts. He was particularly instrumental in the fourth quarter, when he led the squad with 9 points. Watching him blow by his defenders to score and draw fouls was a joyful experience. He showed tremendous composure in tight situations
PORZINGIS. Kris, by his own admission, had an off night offensively, shooting 4-13 from the field, but got to the line for six FTAs. Rick praised him after the game, saying we should remember that KP had one of the league’s great defenders guarding him. He noted that after a couple of frustration shots, Zinger adjusted, and that his free throws and dunk late on were key. KP himself observed that the team could take encouragement from the fact that they secured a great team win, despite a lukewarm performance from him. He hopes to do better next time out.
RICHARDSON. Josh had 8 points in 17 minutes as a reserve, and I thought looked quite good, seeming to accept his new role, and even displaying enthusiasm and passion with his strong play. Good attitude, J Rich!
KLEBER. The great news about Maxi is that he was able to play 36 minutes, having missed most of the last ten games with Achilles soreness. He had only 6 points, but he wasn’t really on the court for the purpose of piling up points. He had a team-leading 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and some very effective defense on Kawhi. Going into the third with three fouls, he was able to manage well to commit only one in the second half. A very key player for the Mavs — stay healthy, Maxi!
OTHER MAVS. Rick played a ten-man rotation, unexpectedly high for a playoff match. Willie, Melli, and Powell all got a few minutes. None scored, but they combined for six rebounds, and more importantly, managed to steal a little rest for the primary bigs, keeping them fresh and reducing their risk of foul trouble.
CLIPPERS
KAWHI led his team with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but was 9-22 from the floor. Maxi contested him energetically, and the Mavs did a good job of swarming him in the paint. He did draw 9 FTAs, but was 1-6 from range. My guess is that he will consider this a somewhat disappointing individual performance in a high-stakes contest.
GEORGE. Pandemic P was in evidence, although George did come around in the second half. He had 23 points, but was 2-8 from beyond the arc, and committed three of the team’s 5 turnovers. The Mavs defended him well.
OTHERS. Batum and Rondo each had 11 points off the bench. Batum played 32 minutes, being relied on when Zubac was played off the floor. Beverley had 10 points in a starting role, but was no match for Luka, and played only 17 minutes. All the starters were in negative territory in the +/- column.
OBSERVATIONS
The Mavericks threw the first punch, which I think was important, even though the Clips responded. Not having to fight through any big deficits enabled them to preserve the energy required for this hard-fought battle. The Mavs remain undefeated when leading after the first quarter and hitting threes at a higher percentage than their opponent. Pretty simple recipe for a victory, lol. The most encouraging thing to me about this win was the showing by the defense, which looked far better than their performance in the season’s last games. The clutch play was outstanding,
This was a very impressive win against a heavily-favored Clipper squad. My optimism meter is ticking up! A satisfying “take-that” performance in front of an audience that may have been guilty of arrogantly assuming that the Mavs are a cupcake team.
These two sides will face each other again on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Both teams will make some adjustments, and we’ll see if the Mavs can sustain.
Keep the faith, Mavs fans!!! GO MAVS!!!
DALLAS STEALS HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The Mavericks showed the Clippers whom they’ve been looking past, with a solid upset at Staples Center. Sweet revenge!
GAME STORY
All the Mavs were available except Redick, who is expected to be out for the series. Rick Carlisle ended the starting-lineup suspense, surprising the Clippers with a unit which had never been utilized this season: Luka-THJ-DFS-Maxi-KP. Ty Lue chose to run with Pat Bev, PG, Kawhi, Morris, and Zubac.
The Mavericks got off to an intense start, and the Clips looked sloppy. Within the first four minutes, the Clippers had four team fouls, and Beverley had to leave with foul trouble. Halfway through the quarter, Kawhi stole the ball from Maxi, but Zach Zorba deflated #2's smug delight by instead calling him for a foul. At 5:20, a long three by THJ put Dallas ahead by an even dozen, 22-10. The Clippers woke up from their siesta and made a run, as the Mavs bench players took the floor. Maxi was called for his second foul with 25 seconds left, and was replaced with Melli. The first quarter came to an end with Dallas leading 33-30.
J Rich entered the game with 25 seconds left in the first, and opened the Mavs’ second-quarter scoring with a three. For the next few minutes, a lid appeared to be on the basket for both teams. At 7:05, a Rondo three knotted the score at 40-all. A second Rondo three gave the Clips their first lead. Zubac drew a technical foul call at 5:34, and J Rich was on hand to drop the free-throw attempt through the net. A Richardson drive to the basket gave the Mavs a 49-47 edge with 4:47 left. Unfortunately he had a bad turnover subsequently, jumping in the air and throwing the ball to a Clipper. Luka then picked up two quick fouls.The Clippers took their largest lead of the game, 53-49, with 3:32 left. Maxi was called for his third, clipping Kawhi after he had already picked up his dribble, his second dubious foul of the game. Oof. Richardson secured a highlight-reel rebound over Zubac. A Luka three put the Mavs ahead, and Hardaway stretched the advantage with another. Luka put a cherry on top with a third. Richardson fiercely defended Morris in the corner, but Morris’ miss led to Doe-Doe’s third foul on an offensive rebound attempt by Kawhi. Your boys held on for a 60-55 lead at halftime.
The Mavs were super-engaged on both ends of the court in the first half. In a number of instances, the Clippers just made exceptional shots despite determined defense. Six Dallas turnovers hurt the Mavericks, while the Clippers had none. However, the Clips, one of the best three-point shooting teams in history, were 4-18 from long range, while the Mavs hit 10 of 21 attempts. LA countered that with a 26-14 advantage in PIP. Only 8 of Dallas’ 60 points were scored by the bench. Luka led all scorers with 21 points on 8-14 shooting.
Beverly tied the game with a three early in the third. The Mavs responded with an 8-0 run, with Luka taking Zubac to school. Around four minutes in, the Mavs had a zippy possession with a missed KP three, Maxi tipping the rebound to THJ, and Timmy hitting an instant made three, all within the space of 4 seconds! The Mavs were called for their first team foul when Luka hacked Kawhi to prevent a fast break. Luka was pulled with his third foul, to his apparent chagrin, but was back on the court a couple of minutes later. Kawhi hit a thunderous dunk to bring the Clips within two at 3:56. But the Mavs were not intimidated, and held on. J Rich closed the quarter with a dramatic slash to the basket for a layup, and the Mavs were up 86-80 after three. The Clips doubled the Mavs up in three-point attempts (10-5), but it was Dallas who had the edge, hitting four of their five to the Clippers’ three of 10. Maxi and Doe-Doe made it through the quarter with no more fouls.
Luka was called for an offensive foul — his fourth — early in the final frame, but Carlisle challenged. The challenge was successful, and Mavs fans could breathe again. The Mavs failed to capitalize on Kawhi’s rest period, surrendering a 9-3 run to LA. Rondo’s third three gave the Clippers a 97-95 lead at 6:32. Rajon then drew a foul by THJ and split his free throws. DFS was called for his fourth for a push on PG. THJ drew a charge from George. The Clippers challenged, but were unsuccessful. Tim proceeded to take the lead back with a long three with 4 minutes left. DFS had a three to put the Mavs ahead again at 2:50, but was called for his fifth foul on the next possession. Morris obliged by missing both free throws. KP hit two free throws to put Dallas up by 5 at 1:41. THJ blasted to the basket for a bucket to make it seven, but the Clips responded with a bucket of their own. KP had a tomahawk dunk over Kawhi to make it 109-102. Kawhi went one of two from the line in the next possession. Rondo fouled Brunson, who hit both freebies. The Mavs put the game to bed with a 113-103 win!! Spectacularific!! The Mavericks closed on a 16-5 run in the last five minutes.
STATISTICS
Look no further than the long-range shooting stats. Mavs were 52% inside the arc, 47% from three, and 77% from the line. Clips’ comparable percentages were 59-27-75. The vaunted Clippers’ shooters went 11-40 from deep, while Dallas were 17-36. Maverick point differentials were -10 on points from twos, +18 on points from threes, and +2 on made free throws.
Other notable statistics included the Mavs’ 19-10 advantage in second-chance points, and the Clippers 17-5 margin in points off turnovers.
PLAYERS
DONCIC. Playoff Luka came out with a vengeance, putting up 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in a team-high 41 minutes. He was the best player on the court, and imo, it wasn’t close. He kept his composure throughout, and calmly dispatched the opponent. The Clippers had no answer for him. Rick complimented his young phenom for mixing up his scoring, with a combination of jump shots and drives. A true superstar performance!
HARDAWAY. Timmy was hotter than a pepper sprout, recording 21 points on 8-13 shooting, including five threes, and dashing all the way down the court to draw a charge on PG13 in a dramatic hustle play. He more than justified Rick’s trust in him as a member of the starting/closing lineups. The team was +16 when Tim was on the floor, second only to Luka at +19. I look for him to be on the court when Game Two begins.
DFS. Dorian stepped up with a fantastic game, scoring 18 points on scorching 7-9 shooting, including 4 threes, and adding five rebounds and 2 assists to his stat line. Once plagued by a bit of deer-in-the-headlights as a younger player, he showed no fear of the moment, playing intense defense against the Clippers' powerful wings and still hitting timely shots. Doe-Doe has a good case for the Dirkie, although there are several other compelling candidates.
BRUNSON. Jalen had 15 points in 21 minutes off the bench, drawing a team-high 8 free-throw attempts. He was particularly instrumental in the fourth quarter, when he led the squad with 9 points. Watching him blow by his defenders to score and draw fouls was a joyful experience. He showed tremendous composure in tight situations
PORZINGIS. Kris, by his own admission, had an off night offensively, shooting 4-13 from the field, but got to the line for six FTAs. Rick praised him after the game, saying we should remember that KP had one of the league’s great defenders guarding him. He noted that after a couple of frustration shots, Zinger adjusted, and that his free throws and dunk late on were key. KP himself observed that the team could take encouragement from the fact that they secured a great team win, despite a lukewarm performance from him. He hopes to do better next time out.
RICHARDSON. Josh had 8 points in 17 minutes as a reserve, and I thought looked quite good, seeming to accept his new role, and even displaying enthusiasm and passion with his strong play. Good attitude, J Rich!
KLEBER. The great news about Maxi is that he was able to play 36 minutes, having missed most of the last ten games with Achilles soreness. He had only 6 points, but he wasn’t really on the court for the purpose of piling up points. He had a team-leading 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and some very effective defense on Kawhi. Going into the third with three fouls, he was able to manage well to commit only one in the second half. A very key player for the Mavs — stay healthy, Maxi!
OTHER MAVS. Rick played a ten-man rotation, unexpectedly high for a playoff match. Willie, Melli, and Powell all got a few minutes. None scored, but they combined for six rebounds, and more importantly, managed to steal a little rest for the primary bigs, keeping them fresh and reducing their risk of foul trouble.
CLIPPERS
KAWHI led his team with 26 points and 10 rebounds, but was 9-22 from the floor. Maxi contested him energetically, and the Mavs did a good job of swarming him in the paint. He did draw 9 FTAs, but was 1-6 from range. My guess is that he will consider this a somewhat disappointing individual performance in a high-stakes contest.
GEORGE. Pandemic P was in evidence, although George did come around in the second half. He had 23 points, but was 2-8 from beyond the arc, and committed three of the team’s 5 turnovers. The Mavs defended him well.
OTHERS. Batum and Rondo each had 11 points off the bench. Batum played 32 minutes, being relied on when Zubac was played off the floor. Beverley had 10 points in a starting role, but was no match for Luka, and played only 17 minutes. All the starters were in negative territory in the +/- column.
OBSERVATIONS
The Mavericks threw the first punch, which I think was important, even though the Clips responded. Not having to fight through any big deficits enabled them to preserve the energy required for this hard-fought battle. The Mavs remain undefeated when leading after the first quarter and hitting threes at a higher percentage than their opponent. Pretty simple recipe for a victory, lol. The most encouraging thing to me about this win was the showing by the defense, which looked far better than their performance in the season’s last games. The clutch play was outstanding,
This was a very impressive win against a heavily-favored Clipper squad. My optimism meter is ticking up! A satisfying “take-that” performance in front of an audience that may have been guilty of arrogantly assuming that the Mavs are a cupcake team.
These two sides will face each other again on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Both teams will make some adjustments, and we’ll see if the Mavs can sustain.
Keep the faith, Mavs fans!!! GO MAVS!!!