MAVERICKS PULL OUT THRILLER IN LA!
MAVS LEAD SERIES 3-2
The Mavericks went jumbo on the Clips, and survived to tell the tale. A phenomenal game from Luka drew no answer from the opponent.
GAME STORY
Luka and Maxi, initially listed as questionable, were both available to play. Serge Ibaka remained out for the Clippers. Rick selected a surprise starting lineup of Luka, THJ, DFS, KP, and Boban, inserting Bobi for Maxi in an apparent effort to counter the Clips’ lethal small ball lineup. Lue stuck with Jackson, PG, Kawhi, Morris, and Batum. It was the first start in 26 playoff games for Marjanovic. Looked like Rick was pulling out all the stops.
FIRST QUARTER
Hardaway opened the scoring with free throws after drawing a foul on Reggie Jackson. He had the first basket of the game a couple of possessions later. Luka then tossed in a step-back three. KP drove baseline for a dunk. Jackson tied the game with a three at 7:15. Boban opened his account, and Dorian followed with a three. After a George triple, Bobi scored again. George put in the Clippers’ fifth three, and Reggie Jackson made it to the basket for the Clips’ first lead, at 17-16.
Doncic immediately responded, and followed that with a three. Powell came in and immediately screened for Luka, who hit another shot. Morris threw an elbow at Maxi, and play was delayed wile the call was reviewed at length. Morris’ foul was deemed a Flagrant One, and Maxi was called for a technical for retaliating. Luka followed the free throws with a three, then heaved in a step-back from downtown! Zubac drifted in, to be delivered a hard foul by Powell. Powell drew a foul from Kawhi on a drive and hit both freebies. Terence Mann had a floater over Luka. The Clips made a couple of forays into the paint for inside baskets/free throws. Luka drove inside to end the quarter with a bucket, with the Mavs leading 35-28.
Luka led all scorers with 19 points, scorching the arena with 7-11 shooting. The Mavericks were 6-11 from three-point land. The Clips took only two shots inside the arc, with the Mavs doing pretty well at keeping them out of the paint
SECOND QUARTER
The Mavs faced a dreaded Luka-less period to begin the second. Paul George began the scoring with two free throws. Bobi then returned to action. Two quick fouls were called on KP. Rondo hit Batum for a dunk. Inside two minutes, KP was called for his third, and Maxi and Powell went back in. Powell followed a Brunson miss with a soaring put back dunk. Rick called a timeout with the Mavs’ lead having shrunk to one, at 37-36.
Hardaway had an open three from a Luka pass. Kleber and Luka were each called for another foul. Bobi got an easy basket inside. Kawhi dashed past Bobi for a bucket. Luka had an inside basket off a Boban screen, then sealed half the Clippers team on another drive. Kawhi tied the game at 5:28. Luka went down hard on a Clipper foul, but made both free throws. Willie came in, with the other bigs having two fouls each. Zubac had a three-second call, and THJ shot the technical. Wille was soon called for two fouls. Kawhi hit a wide-open three from the corner, putting the Clips up 51-49 and producing a Dallas timeout.
Luka quickly tied the game again off a deflected shot that came back to him. Morris responded with a three. Kleber hit a three from Luka. WCS had a steal from Kawhi, and Luka passed back to him for a dunk. The buzzer sounded, with Dallas up 56-54. It was a low scoring quarter for both teams (26-21 Clips).
The Clippers doubled up the Mavs in FTAs in the half (16-8), and had an offensive rebounding advantage of 8-2. Luka had 27 of Dallas’ 56 points. Fouls for the bigs appeared to be a looming issue, and it looked like Luka could really use some more help.
THIRD QUARTER
Boban was fouled on an end-of-clock attempt, and completed both FTAs. George drove to the basket past Boban. Bobi was fouled again and split the pair. Jackson tied the game with a triple. Reggie gave the Clippers the lead with another three. Doe-Doe hit a corner three from a Luka pass to re-tie. Batum scored again from deep. Kawhi gave the Clips their biggest lead of the game thus far (5), and a timeout ensued.
Batum forced a jump ball with Bobi after the timeout. Bobi tipped to Luka, who was fouled. It was called on the floor for some unknown reason. Luka made them pay with a double-clutch and-one, but missed the free throw. Jackson had a corner three at the other end. KP hit a corner three in return! Paul George was called for an offensive foul on THJ with a pushoff, but the Mavs could not capitalize. The Mavs shooters looked cold.
Hardaway, who was receiving intense defensive attention, turned the ball over. Leonard hit a shot over the defense. Luka had a pretty floater on the other end. Timeout was called with the Clips up 72-69. KP ran to the rim for a transition dunk. Timmy regained the lead with a second basket in transition. It seesawed back with a Jackson three. Powell leaped into the rafters for an offensive rebound and tossed the rock to Timmy for a jumper. Luka had a drive and score. A Tim-Luka dunk took advantage of a third Clippers turnover. A timeout was called after a 13-3 Mavs run.
Luka in the paint again! Rondo airmailed a three, sending the Mavericks bench into a gleeful celebration. Luka found a rolling Powell for a flush. Luka put in a Dame-style triple. Doe-Doe hit a pair of freebies. The Mavs’ run extended to 16-0 in the last 3:47 to end the third up 89-75!! The Clips had only 21 points in the period, 12 of which were scored by Reggie. Luka (who else?) led the Mavs with 13.
FOURTH QUARTER
Hardaway made it 18-0 with Luka resting. Kawhi ended the run with a basket inside. Mann scored over Powell, but missed both free throws on the next try. PG drew the fourth foul on Maxi, and hit both shots from the line. Luka returned to the court at 9:41. Brunson pulled up from a Luka pass. The Mavs were called for three fouls within the first three minutes. Batum went in for a slam. Powell got into the passing lane and forced a turnover. George drew another foul on his way to the basket, the fifth on Maxi, and completed his free throws, reducing the Mavericks’ 16-point lead to 8. Boban drew a foul, and a timeout was called.
George skipped past Boban for a bucket, whittling the Mavs lead to 6. Bobi was then called for an offensive foul on Mann. The call was reviewed for the possibility of a flagrant, but a common foul was confirmed. DFS had a steal, but Luka’s shot rimmed out. Kawhi drew another foul and made both free throws, chiseling the lead to 4. Luka angled one off the glass. The Mavs followed with a shot clock violation, as the five-minute mark rolled past.
DFS knocked the ball away from Kawhi, and Luka missed a three. George had another basket, bringing the fourth quarter scoring to 16-6 in favor of LA. Dallas burned a time out. Luka missed a bank shot on a post-up. Mann fouled Luka under the Dallas basket. Powell stepped out of bounds on the other end. DFS had another steal. Hardaway hit a three from San Francisco. DFS forced another turnover. KP hit from the corner! A timeout was called, with Dallas leading 101-91, and the Mavericks players lauded Kris on the sideline.
Jackson hit a three out of the timeout. Morris made it a four-point game with another three. A Luka fadeaway rimmed out. Kawhi had an and-one, the foul incredibly being called on the shot. The Clippers trailed 100-101 with 40 seconds left. The Mavs turned it over. The Clips, with a chance to pull in front, had a poor possession, and sent Tim to the line with 9 seconds left. THJ completed both shots, bringing the lead to three. The Clips took a timeout. Kawhi airmailed a contested three over Dorian and the Clips sent J Rich to the line. The Mavs’ best free-throw shooter put both in the basket. Kawhi missed his last shot, and the road game won for the fifth game in the series!
STATISTICS
The Mavs got 9 more shots up than the Clips, although LA had a 25-19 edge in FTAs. The Mavs' shooting percentages were 43% on 2PTAs, 39% on 3PTAs, and 89% from the line. Comparable Clippers numbers were 45/37/80. Mavs point differentials were +8 on points from twos, even on points from threes, and -3 on made free throws. Limiting the Clippers to 19 shots inside the arc was huge.
The Mavs’ huge run to close the third quarter was critical, giving the Mavs enough cushion to survive a heart-stopping 16-point fourth quarter.
PLAYERS
DONCIC. Luka had another stellar game with 42 points, 14 assists, 8 rebounds, and six threes, despite playing with a sore neck. One of the most wondrous basketball players on the planet! Halleluka!! After the game, he credited his teammates, and said he needs to play “way better,” lamenting his missed shots in the fourth. Luka, the humble phenom!
HARDAWAY. Tim was the only other Mav in double figures, recording 20 points to go with 7 rebounds. He didn’t shoot particularly well (6-19), but was 5-5 from the free-throw line, and the shots he did hit were big ones.
BOBAN. Bobi had 9 points and 7 boards in 20 minutes on the court. The gentle giant changed the game against the Clippers, who were forced to shoot from the outside, and to contend with Boban’s size on the defensive end. Luka said it was a struggle to change the game plan to accommodate Bobi, but he thought the move “turned out great.”
DFS. Dorian was only 2-9 from the field for 8 points, but he was a terror defensively, especially forcing one turnover after another and racking up five steals. A key player in the Mavs’ third-quarter run!
PORZINGIS. KP had 8 points and 6 boards, and spent most of the second quarter on the pine after committing three fouls in less than two minutes to begin the period. He hit a critical three in the fourth quarter, and was on the floor in the clutch stretch.
POWELL. Dwight was a key figure in the win, with 8 points and 7 boards in 30 minutes off the bench. His vertical offense and superior screening game contributed immensely to the victory. Luka complimented him for bringing so much energy to the match.
KLEBER. Maxi had 4 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes as a reserve. He and Dwight both were called for 5 fouls, and both big bodies and all ten fouls were needed.
BENCH. Brunson, Richardson, and Willie combined for 6 points, three boards, and one assist, and were a combined -18 in 21 minutes of action.
CLIPPERS. Tye Lue commented that Kawhi tired toward the end of the game, and that Paul George being in foul trouble (called for his fourth in the third quarter) really hurt them. He added that the Mavs’ game plan succeeded, as the Clips were forced to shoot from outside, and his squad didn’t make enough of those shots. He said his team needs to be better playing against the Mavericks' zone defense. Kawhi had 20 points, but had a meh night by his standards, shooting 7-19 and seeming to fade late. George was the Clips’ leading light on the night, with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. He was the only Clipper who consistently beat the Mavs inside. Three other Clippers were in double figures — Reggie Jackson with 20, Morris 16, and Batum with 10.
OBSERVATIONS
Rick’s gamble to roll with super-sized lineups paid off, with the Clippers scoring a mere 38 points in the paint. Kudos to the coach for a bold move, and to the players for adjusting to such a big scheme change on the fly!
Luka returning to form had the Mavericks looking like a different team. If he can continue to play like this, and get a little more help from his teammates, the Mavs stand a chance to finish off the series in six. Barkley's guar-awn-tee that Dallas would lose four straight did not prove prophetic.
Game Six will take place at the AAC at 8 CDT on Friday.
GO MAVS!!!!
MAVS LEAD SERIES 3-2
The Mavericks went jumbo on the Clips, and survived to tell the tale. A phenomenal game from Luka drew no answer from the opponent.
GAME STORY
Luka and Maxi, initially listed as questionable, were both available to play. Serge Ibaka remained out for the Clippers. Rick selected a surprise starting lineup of Luka, THJ, DFS, KP, and Boban, inserting Bobi for Maxi in an apparent effort to counter the Clips’ lethal small ball lineup. Lue stuck with Jackson, PG, Kawhi, Morris, and Batum. It was the first start in 26 playoff games for Marjanovic. Looked like Rick was pulling out all the stops.
FIRST QUARTER
Hardaway opened the scoring with free throws after drawing a foul on Reggie Jackson. He had the first basket of the game a couple of possessions later. Luka then tossed in a step-back three. KP drove baseline for a dunk. Jackson tied the game with a three at 7:15. Boban opened his account, and Dorian followed with a three. After a George triple, Bobi scored again. George put in the Clippers’ fifth three, and Reggie Jackson made it to the basket for the Clips’ first lead, at 17-16.
Doncic immediately responded, and followed that with a three. Powell came in and immediately screened for Luka, who hit another shot. Morris threw an elbow at Maxi, and play was delayed wile the call was reviewed at length. Morris’ foul was deemed a Flagrant One, and Maxi was called for a technical for retaliating. Luka followed the free throws with a three, then heaved in a step-back from downtown! Zubac drifted in, to be delivered a hard foul by Powell. Powell drew a foul from Kawhi on a drive and hit both freebies. Terence Mann had a floater over Luka. The Clips made a couple of forays into the paint for inside baskets/free throws. Luka drove inside to end the quarter with a bucket, with the Mavs leading 35-28.
Luka led all scorers with 19 points, scorching the arena with 7-11 shooting. The Mavericks were 6-11 from three-point land. The Clips took only two shots inside the arc, with the Mavs doing pretty well at keeping them out of the paint
SECOND QUARTER
The Mavs faced a dreaded Luka-less period to begin the second. Paul George began the scoring with two free throws. Bobi then returned to action. Two quick fouls were called on KP. Rondo hit Batum for a dunk. Inside two minutes, KP was called for his third, and Maxi and Powell went back in. Powell followed a Brunson miss with a soaring put back dunk. Rick called a timeout with the Mavs’ lead having shrunk to one, at 37-36.
Hardaway had an open three from a Luka pass. Kleber and Luka were each called for another foul. Bobi got an easy basket inside. Kawhi dashed past Bobi for a bucket. Luka had an inside basket off a Boban screen, then sealed half the Clippers team on another drive. Kawhi tied the game at 5:28. Luka went down hard on a Clipper foul, but made both free throws. Willie came in, with the other bigs having two fouls each. Zubac had a three-second call, and THJ shot the technical. Wille was soon called for two fouls. Kawhi hit a wide-open three from the corner, putting the Clips up 51-49 and producing a Dallas timeout.
Luka quickly tied the game again off a deflected shot that came back to him. Morris responded with a three. Kleber hit a three from Luka. WCS had a steal from Kawhi, and Luka passed back to him for a dunk. The buzzer sounded, with Dallas up 56-54. It was a low scoring quarter for both teams (26-21 Clips).
The Clippers doubled up the Mavs in FTAs in the half (16-8), and had an offensive rebounding advantage of 8-2. Luka had 27 of Dallas’ 56 points. Fouls for the bigs appeared to be a looming issue, and it looked like Luka could really use some more help.
THIRD QUARTER
Boban was fouled on an end-of-clock attempt, and completed both FTAs. George drove to the basket past Boban. Bobi was fouled again and split the pair. Jackson tied the game with a triple. Reggie gave the Clippers the lead with another three. Doe-Doe hit a corner three from a Luka pass to re-tie. Batum scored again from deep. Kawhi gave the Clips their biggest lead of the game thus far (5), and a timeout ensued.
Batum forced a jump ball with Bobi after the timeout. Bobi tipped to Luka, who was fouled. It was called on the floor for some unknown reason. Luka made them pay with a double-clutch and-one, but missed the free throw. Jackson had a corner three at the other end. KP hit a corner three in return! Paul George was called for an offensive foul on THJ with a pushoff, but the Mavs could not capitalize. The Mavs shooters looked cold.
Hardaway, who was receiving intense defensive attention, turned the ball over. Leonard hit a shot over the defense. Luka had a pretty floater on the other end. Timeout was called with the Clips up 72-69. KP ran to the rim for a transition dunk. Timmy regained the lead with a second basket in transition. It seesawed back with a Jackson three. Powell leaped into the rafters for an offensive rebound and tossed the rock to Timmy for a jumper. Luka had a drive and score. A Tim-Luka dunk took advantage of a third Clippers turnover. A timeout was called after a 13-3 Mavs run.
Luka in the paint again! Rondo airmailed a three, sending the Mavericks bench into a gleeful celebration. Luka found a rolling Powell for a flush. Luka put in a Dame-style triple. Doe-Doe hit a pair of freebies. The Mavs’ run extended to 16-0 in the last 3:47 to end the third up 89-75!! The Clips had only 21 points in the period, 12 of which were scored by Reggie. Luka (who else?) led the Mavs with 13.
FOURTH QUARTER
Hardaway made it 18-0 with Luka resting. Kawhi ended the run with a basket inside. Mann scored over Powell, but missed both free throws on the next try. PG drew the fourth foul on Maxi, and hit both shots from the line. Luka returned to the court at 9:41. Brunson pulled up from a Luka pass. The Mavs were called for three fouls within the first three minutes. Batum went in for a slam. Powell got into the passing lane and forced a turnover. George drew another foul on his way to the basket, the fifth on Maxi, and completed his free throws, reducing the Mavericks’ 16-point lead to 8. Boban drew a foul, and a timeout was called.
George skipped past Boban for a bucket, whittling the Mavs lead to 6. Bobi was then called for an offensive foul on Mann. The call was reviewed for the possibility of a flagrant, but a common foul was confirmed. DFS had a steal, but Luka’s shot rimmed out. Kawhi drew another foul and made both free throws, chiseling the lead to 4. Luka angled one off the glass. The Mavs followed with a shot clock violation, as the five-minute mark rolled past.
DFS knocked the ball away from Kawhi, and Luka missed a three. George had another basket, bringing the fourth quarter scoring to 16-6 in favor of LA. Dallas burned a time out. Luka missed a bank shot on a post-up. Mann fouled Luka under the Dallas basket. Powell stepped out of bounds on the other end. DFS had another steal. Hardaway hit a three from San Francisco. DFS forced another turnover. KP hit from the corner! A timeout was called, with Dallas leading 101-91, and the Mavericks players lauded Kris on the sideline.
Jackson hit a three out of the timeout. Morris made it a four-point game with another three. A Luka fadeaway rimmed out. Kawhi had an and-one, the foul incredibly being called on the shot. The Clippers trailed 100-101 with 40 seconds left. The Mavs turned it over. The Clips, with a chance to pull in front, had a poor possession, and sent Tim to the line with 9 seconds left. THJ completed both shots, bringing the lead to three. The Clips took a timeout. Kawhi airmailed a contested three over Dorian and the Clips sent J Rich to the line. The Mavs’ best free-throw shooter put both in the basket. Kawhi missed his last shot, and the road game won for the fifth game in the series!
STATISTICS
The Mavs got 9 more shots up than the Clips, although LA had a 25-19 edge in FTAs. The Mavs' shooting percentages were 43% on 2PTAs, 39% on 3PTAs, and 89% from the line. Comparable Clippers numbers were 45/37/80. Mavs point differentials were +8 on points from twos, even on points from threes, and -3 on made free throws. Limiting the Clippers to 19 shots inside the arc was huge.
The Mavs’ huge run to close the third quarter was critical, giving the Mavs enough cushion to survive a heart-stopping 16-point fourth quarter.
PLAYERS
DONCIC. Luka had another stellar game with 42 points, 14 assists, 8 rebounds, and six threes, despite playing with a sore neck. One of the most wondrous basketball players on the planet! Halleluka!! After the game, he credited his teammates, and said he needs to play “way better,” lamenting his missed shots in the fourth. Luka, the humble phenom!
HARDAWAY. Tim was the only other Mav in double figures, recording 20 points to go with 7 rebounds. He didn’t shoot particularly well (6-19), but was 5-5 from the free-throw line, and the shots he did hit were big ones.
BOBAN. Bobi had 9 points and 7 boards in 20 minutes on the court. The gentle giant changed the game against the Clippers, who were forced to shoot from the outside, and to contend with Boban’s size on the defensive end. Luka said it was a struggle to change the game plan to accommodate Bobi, but he thought the move “turned out great.”
DFS. Dorian was only 2-9 from the field for 8 points, but he was a terror defensively, especially forcing one turnover after another and racking up five steals. A key player in the Mavs’ third-quarter run!
PORZINGIS. KP had 8 points and 6 boards, and spent most of the second quarter on the pine after committing three fouls in less than two minutes to begin the period. He hit a critical three in the fourth quarter, and was on the floor in the clutch stretch.
POWELL. Dwight was a key figure in the win, with 8 points and 7 boards in 30 minutes off the bench. His vertical offense and superior screening game contributed immensely to the victory. Luka complimented him for bringing so much energy to the match.
KLEBER. Maxi had 4 points and 3 rebounds in 19 minutes as a reserve. He and Dwight both were called for 5 fouls, and both big bodies and all ten fouls were needed.
BENCH. Brunson, Richardson, and Willie combined for 6 points, three boards, and one assist, and were a combined -18 in 21 minutes of action.
CLIPPERS. Tye Lue commented that Kawhi tired toward the end of the game, and that Paul George being in foul trouble (called for his fourth in the third quarter) really hurt them. He added that the Mavs’ game plan succeeded, as the Clips were forced to shoot from outside, and his squad didn’t make enough of those shots. He said his team needs to be better playing against the Mavericks' zone defense. Kawhi had 20 points, but had a meh night by his standards, shooting 7-19 and seeming to fade late. George was the Clips’ leading light on the night, with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. He was the only Clipper who consistently beat the Mavs inside. Three other Clippers were in double figures — Reggie Jackson with 20, Morris 16, and Batum with 10.
OBSERVATIONS
Rick’s gamble to roll with super-sized lineups paid off, with the Clippers scoring a mere 38 points in the paint. Kudos to the coach for a bold move, and to the players for adjusting to such a big scheme change on the fly!
Luka returning to form had the Mavericks looking like a different team. If he can continue to play like this, and get a little more help from his teammates, the Mavs stand a chance to finish off the series in six. Barkley's guar-awn-tee that Dallas would lose four straight did not prove prophetic.
Game Six will take place at the AAC at 8 CDT on Friday.
GO MAVS!!!!