Mavs 113, Clippers 103

[KillerLeft]

KP was at his best as a pure finisher. Not getting the first pass from Luka and being forced to make a quick decision. Getting the pass from Kleber/Brunson/DFS and finishing the play in the paint. Good things happen when KP spots up in the corner. He can take the shot from his best spot (small sample size) or cut to the basket, go for the offensive rebound).

Totally agree. The end of the game was his most effective offensive stretch, by far.

[KillerLeft]

Just finished a rewatch of the game (thinking more clearly, without the adrenaline). 

The Mavs are still in trouble. They got close to ideal performances from DFS and THJ on both ends of the court. Luka was Luka, and he might be able to play that well in most games of the series, but that might be the high water mark for THJ and DFS. You can argue that Brunson has another level to reach, and obviously we can hope for more out of Porzingis (maybe they figured some stuff out late that will help), but this was a GREAT performance by the Mavs...and the game was in question until very late. 

On the flip side, basically only Leonard played well for the Clippers, and he could actually play quite a bit better. If, for example, the Clippers get the 2nd half Paul George for the entire game, this is a Mavs loss. If they get ANYTHING from Jackson, Morris or Beverley, this is a Mavs loss. 

I'm happy for the win, but still not feeling great about this.

[mavsluvr]

I've mentioned gravity in a couple of posts, but if KP takes Leonard out to the three point line, then I'll take my chances with Luka, THJ, Maxi and DFS against PG, Morris, Zubac and any of their guards.  Lue has an interesting decision to make.  Will the Dallas secondary players be this good three more times?  If the bet is no, then keep Leonard on KP.  If you take Leonard off KP, you run the risk that 30 point KP shows up and beats you.

This is an interesting reminder that KP is accomplishing something very important even when he just stands out there. If the Mavs shooters continue to hit, I wonder if Lue will try re-jiggering his defense. And if he does, whether KP can successfully call his bluff. 

Maxi is super important to this series.  He's the one dragging Zubac over to Luka for the switch.  They have to switch it because they can't afford to leave either Maxi of Luka trying to fight through.  That wouldn't be the case with Powell or WCS.

Great observation. Maxi is in some respects the unsung hero of Game One. 

I agree we have reserves, as you put it.  But, we won't always win the rebounding war 42-39 (we got 13 from the Maxi-Melli PF combo).  We also won't hold the league's best 3 point team to 27%.  Leonard was 1/6, Morris was 0/6 and PG was 2/8.  I imagine one adjustment will be more Batum and less Morris.

Will be very interesting if Lue goes away from Morris. The guy was one of the leading three-point shooters in the league during the regular season, at 47%. If Lue is forced to put that gun back in the holster, I think it will be somewhat of a blow to their team. Agree that we will probably see more of Batum. 

Very good points!

[sefant]

Totally agree. The end of the game was his most effective offensive stretch, by far.

He had for me the most important "basket" of the game.

1:41 to go.

Up 3, shot clock down to 6 secs, ball out of bounds. Not the easiest situation to get a good shot.

DFS passed to KP under the basket, KP fakes. Batum bites on the fake, jumps on his back & fouls him. KP sinks both FTs to make it a 5 pt game with 1:41 to go. Another stop, another layup from Tim, and the game was out of reach.

[Mavs2021]

Honestly it´s a bit embarrassing how you guys are trying to forcefeed this opinion that KP wasn´t utter wank in this game, because he dunked a basketball once and made two FTs. Or that his offensive presence made the game easier for the rest, and not that other guy with #77. He did not draw defensive attention at all. They defended him with Patrick Beverley, who is 6´0. When they doubled Luka in teh 4th quarter it was mostly KP´s man that came for the double, because they had far more respect for THJ, DFS and Kleber. Well duh, rightfully so, it´s in the game and seasonal numbers. They are far more lethal open shotmakers and Luka gravitates toward them.

[KillerLeft]

He had for me the most important "basket" of the game.

1:41 to go.

Up 3, shot clock down to 6 secs, ball out of bounds. Not the easiest situation to get a good shot.

DFS passed to KP under the basket, KP fakes. Batum bites on the fake, jumps on his back & fouls him. KP sinks both FTs to make it a 5 pt game with 1:41 to go. Another stop, another layup from Tim, and the game was out of reach.

Yes, that was a huge play. 

Melli's offensive rebound in traffic (happened right after the Clippers took their first 4th quarter lead, I believe) was huge, too. 

The Mavs had all the answers down the stretch, for sure. I hope the KP 4th quarter stuff can be applied to other situations moving forward. I think @"dirkfansince1998" is right on the money about him being a finisher, and not a facilitator or a creator. For max contract money you really want someone who can create opportunities for others (actively - he certainly does this passively with his suction) but at this point, they need to aim lower and just get the guy some good looks.

[fifteenth]

Interesting cat and mouse game about lineups...

Thanks for this,  Dan! The lineup story is the story of the game imo.

And thanks for making good sense of the KP minutes! We won those minutes early in the game even with KP looking really bad. Glad for him and us that he stayed positive so that he could make big contributions in the 4th. 

Can't wait to see what the young cat and the wise old mouse do next game.

[omahen]

Just finished a rewatch of the game (thinking more clearly, without the adrenaline). 

The Mavs are still in trouble. They got close to ideal performances from DFS and THJ on both ends of the court. Luka was Luka, and he might be able to play that well in most games of the series, but that might be the high water mark for THJ and DFS. You can argue that Brunson has another level to reach, and obviously we can hope for more out of Porzingis (maybe they figured some stuff out late that will help), but this was a GREAT performance by the Mavs...and the game was in question until very late. 

On the flip side, basically only Leonard played well for the Clippers, and he could actually play quite a bit better. If, for example, the Clippers get the 2nd half Paul George for the entire game, this is a Mavs loss. If they get ANYTHING from Jackson, Morris or Beverley, this is a Mavs loss. 

I'm happy for the win, but still not feeling great about this.

Agree. But on the other hand while Clipps had a bad shooting night, they did have almost a perfect game regarding everything else. Can they repeat having only 5 turnovers, for example? As for shooting - Clippers shot badly in 3 out of 4 games against Mavs this season. I guess we will quickly find out if this is just a coincidence or not.

[fifteenth]

One note about Ty Lue. I had assumed that he was a "roll the ball out there" coach based on being Lebron's choice, but leading up to the game, after reading and listening up a bit, I think he's a good coach. I think him allowing Rondo to be a bit of an assistant just speaks to how comfortable he is (kinda of anti-Avery). 

I think it was actually a smart move to put Kawhi on KP. It's just that DFS, THJ and Brunson made them pay. 

Also, regarding Kawhi's shooting drought in the 4th: it mirrored Luka's. Both teams went all out to get the ball out of the star's hands. And then our 4 supporting cast beat theirs. This is quite significant! The Clippers are a title contender known for depth. And we (Mavs fans) consistently bemoan the quality of our depth. For this one game,  at least, point Mavs depth.

[mavsluvr]

Just finished a rewatch of the game (thinking more clearly, without the adrenaline). 

The Mavs are still in trouble. They got close to ideal performances from DFS and THJ on both ends of the court. Luka was Luka, and he might be able to play that well in most games of the series, but that might be the high water mark for THJ and DFS. You can argue that Brunson has another level to reach, and obviously we can hope for more out of Porzingis (maybe they figured some stuff out late that will help), but this was a GREAT performance by the Mavs...and the game was in question until very late. 

On the flip side, basically only Leonard played well for the Clippers, and he could actually play quite a bit better. If, for example, the Clippers get the 2nd half Paul George for the entire game, this is a Mavs loss. If they get ANYTHING from Jackson, Morris or Beverley, this is a Mavs loss. 

I'm happy for the win, but still not feeling great about this.

I have been reveling in the win while we still can, but have to agree that, if we raise our head above the trenches and peep at the road ahead, it appears lined with obstacles and pitfalls. 

I listened to a couple of Clippers-oriented podcasts, mostly for schadenfreude purposes, lol, and they pretty much echoed your thoughts.  

"The Mavs gave us their best shot, we didn't play well, and we were still tied with three minutes left. The Mavs are unlikely to play that well again, and we are unlikely to play that badly again. Clippers in six."

I am somewhat encouraged by the Mavs' defense looking surprisingly good, and think that might be able to stick, at least to a degree. However, the Mavs' success pretty much lives and dies with how well their three-point shots are falling, and you just never know from one game to the next. If KP could resurrect his Bubble form, that would go a long way. And I'm not convinced the Clips can come up with an answer to Luka for every remaining game, or maybe at all. But, yeah. If the Clippers step up their game, I fear the consequences may not be pretty.

[Jommybone]

. . . Maxi is super important to this series.  He's the one dragging Zubac over to Luka for the switch.  They have to switch it because they can't afford to leave either Maxi of Luka trying to fight through.  That wouldn't be the case with Powell or WCS.

. . . I imagine one adjustment will be more Batum and less Morris.

Interesting. Looked to me like the Clips completely gave up on playing Zubac. And Batum was his replacement. I’m impressed with Batum, but he can’t sub in for both Zubac and Morris. 

I’m expecting to see 36+ minutes from Rondo, Batum, Morris here on out. At least that’s what yesterday’s 2nd half was foreshadowing.

[fifteenth]

@"KillerLeft", maybe a key is this: is the Mavs defense somewhat responsible for the poor shooting? Crazy idea, I know, but: we've seen recently that the Mavs defensive rating against teams that made the playoffs was very good this year. Do we have a defense that's better than we've thought because it showed up only intermittently during the season?

[KillerLeft]

maybe a key is this: is the Mavs defense somewhat responsible for the poor shooting?

Definitely, but after rewatching, "somewhat" is exactly the word I'd use. Lots of wide open shots did not drop for the Clippers in game 1. Almost all of them did for the Mavs, and in fact, THJ and DFS hit some 3's that were more contested than the kind we like them to shoot. 

I'm thinking of one possession, late in the fourth, when the lead was bouncing back and forth. The Clippers were making their push for the win. THJ got the ball and either KP or Kleber set a non-productive screen for him, basically resulting in Leonard face guarding THJ on the right wing. Rather than keep the ball moving, Hardaway dribbled between his legs and hoisted up a 3. It wasn't very well contested, but it was certainly not open. It was exactly the type of shot his detractors despise, in fact. Last night, the result was *swish* and another new Mavs lead. On the rewatch, I really did come away thinking it was just the Mavs' night.

I'm not trying to detract from their victory. They earned it. It's not like the Clippers gave them the game or anything. I just feel like on a scale of 1-10 that game was a 9.5 for Dallas and about a 6 for the Clippers, with the result being in question with 2 minutes remaining.

[fifteenth]

I'm not trying to detract from their victory. They earned it. It's not like the Clippers gave them the game or anything. I just feel like on a scale of 1-10 that game was a 9.5 for Dallas and about a 6 for the Clippers, with the result being in question with 2 minutes remaining.

True that,  pal. I agree.

[mavsluvr]

One note about Ty Lue. I had assumed that he was a "roll the ball out there" coach based on being Lebron's choice, but leading up to the game, after reading and listening up a bit, I think he's a good coach. I think him allowing Rondo to be a bit of an assistant just speaks to how comfortable he is (kinda of anti-Avery). 

Agree that there seems to be a certain underestimation of Lue among Mavs fans. He may not be Rick Carlisle, but he's far from an empty shirt. 

I think it was actually a smart move to put Kawhi on KP. It's just that DFS, THJ and Brunson made them pay. 

Agree. Can they do it three more times? I don't know. 

Also, regarding Kawhi's shooting drought in the 4th: it mirrored Luka's. Both teams went all out to get the ball out of the star's hands. And then our 4 supporting cast beat theirs. This is quite significant! The Clippers are a title contender known for depth. And we (Mavs fans) consistently bemoan the quality of our depth. For this one game,  at least, point Mavs depth.

Excellent point, and if it comes down to a battle of the role players, I kinda like our chances. 

[DanSchwartzgan]

Interesting. Looked to me like the Clips completely gave up on playing Zubac. And Batum was his replacement.  

Ibaka

[ItsGoTime]

Let's just hope that this year the Mavs are the GSW to the Clippers Mavs in 2008!

[mavsluvr]

I'm not trying to detract from their victory. They earned it. It's not like the Clippers gave them the game or anything. I just feel like on a scale of 1-10 that game was a 9.5 for Dallas and about a 6 for the Clippers, with the result being in question with 2 minutes remaining.

As I'm sure you know, the knock on the Clippers in the playoffs is that the whole often seems to add up to less than the sum of the parts. If that's for real, then I think Carlisle is the guy who could take advantage, if anyone can. 


We can hope, anyway.

[KillerLeft]

As I'm sure you know, the knock on the Clippers in the playoffs is that the whole often seems to add up to less than the sum of the parts. If that's for real, then I think Carlisle is the guy who could take advantage, if anyone can. 

Oh, for sure. 

There really DOES seem to be something wrong with that team between the ears, collectively. And, I agree that the coaching battle is a huge advantage for Dallas.

We actually get to see what Carlisle does with a series LEAD, for a change. That's pretty exciting.

[Scott41theMavs]

Ibaka

OT, am I the only one who hears that name and expects to turn around and see a dude covered head to foot in long brown fur?