GAME 3 Playoffs 2024: Los Angeles Clippers (1-1) vs Dallas Mavericks (1-1)

[dirkfansince1998]

Westbrook should be ejected earlier. Making dirty play after dirty play whole game. He was trying to lift his team with the energy, but I think he was crossing the line.

Same old Clippers. When things aren't going their way they bring out the bush league stuff. I think they will double down in the next game. Mavs have to match the physicality but stay level-headed and avoid foul trouble/technicals.

[SleepingHero]

Clippers had the better FG%, 3p% and FT%. Mavs outhustled them and won the possession game. +3 offensive rebounds. -11 turnovers.

The turnovers was the biggest key. The Mavs just kept pushing and pushing in transition. So many easy dunks off of their perimeter pressure. 

Green/PJ/DJJ all forced the Clips into dumb mistakes.

[Jason Terry]

Great defense all night by everyone.  We need two big offensive games to close this out

No we don’t. Obviously. We just beat the brakes out of them with a bad offensive performance from Luka and from 3

[SleepingHero]

@FlyByKnite
Reporting from Kristina Pink said she talked to Clippers assistant Brian Shaw. Apparently, the Clippers didn't think Kawhi Leonard "looked like himself" in the first half and that if he doesn't start to turn it around in the second half then they might just pull him.


^ This was in the 3rd quarter. Clips went on a little run in the 3rd so that's probably why Kawhi kept playing but this does offer some insight on where the Clips think Kawhi is at.

[Chicagojk]

He is not nearly as good of a player but a THJ injury finally allowed the Mavs to ride with Jalen. Maybe the same thing for Green. Green struggles much more with consistency but he was really good yesterday. I hate Hardaway got hurt and if this team is struggling on offense the first half of the year Hardaway is needed, but I hope Green doesn’t lose minutes if things how he is going to play.

[Chicagojk]

I think the Clippers have been doing a great job defending Luka too. In previous years that would have been the checkmate move. No longer with this Mav team. Good times.

[surfpuckmd]

Same old Clippers. When things aren't going their way they bring out the bush league stuff. I think they will double down in the next game. Mavs have to match the physicality but stay level-headed and avoid foul trouble/technicals.

I'd say there's a concerted effort to have Westbrook injure Luka.  I'm disappointed Ty Lue allowed it to continue and kept Westbrook in the game.   I guess Ty Lue has endorsed that.  

The Clippers remain the league's dirtiest team.  They deserve Kawhi's knee problems.

[SleepingHero]

I'd say there's a concerted effort to have Westbrook injure Luka.  I'm disappointed Ty Lue allowed it to continue and kept Westbrook in the game.   I guess Ty Lue has endorsed that.  

The Clippers remain the league's dirtiest team.  They deserve Kawhi's knee problems.

If you remember the bubble, Morris and Harrell went out of their way to hurt an already hobbled Luka. 



The comparisons are so similar its creepy to me. Has to be coming from Lue.

[WildArkieBoy]

I'd say there's a concerted effort to have Westbrook injure Luka.  I'm disappointed Ty Lue allowed it to continue and kept Westbrook in the game.   I guess Ty Lue has endorsed that.  

The Clippers remain the league's dirtiest team.  They deserve Kawhi's knee problems.

Seeing Westbrick push Luka AFTER the incident looked like he wanted to instigate a fight leading to his and Luka's ejection.  

WAB

[soog]

I'd say there's a concerted effort to have Westbrook injure Luka.  I'm disappointed Ty Lue allowed it to continue and kept Westbrook in the game.   I guess Ty Lue has endorsed that.  

The Clippers remain the league's dirtiest team.  They deserve Kawhi's knee problems.

I don’t know if I’d go so far as to say they are trying to hurt him. I 100% think they are trying to get under his skin. With the amount Luka has historically complained and specifically not gotten back on defense while he is busy complaining, it makes sense to try to get under his skin by giving him reasons to complain.

There is a video out there with guys like KG talking about how they used to go at Timmy like that, but then stopped when they realized he would just respond by smiling at them or telling them good try.

[The Jom]

Russ tried to hurt Josh Green with a blow to the head while airborne. Why are we trying to make this about grabbing and shoving Luka?

[soog]

Seeing Westbrick push Luka AFTER the incident looked like he wanted to instigate a fight leading to his and Luka's ejection.  

WAB

Completely agree. They are trying to bait him, not hurt him.

[surfpuckmd]

Completely agree. They are trying to bait him, not hurt him.

It's obviously both.   

Westbrook had several dirty plays which placed Luka at risk of injury.

Even Paul George has injured a couple of Mavericks with dirty plays.

The Clippers have a remarkable history of dangerous behavior in the playoffs.  

I'm disappointed that Kidd didn't blow up about what transpired.  The fact that PJ received the same punishment as Westbrook is obscene to me.  Kidd should have reacted. 

I'll be similarly angry if Westbrook isn't suspended for game 4.  (Embiid should be suspended as well for his behavior). 

I'm also bothered by the announcers and the media interpretation of what happened as a "scuffle".  There was no scuffle.  Westbrook ripped Luka's arm, then shoved him then shoved Maxi.  He then threw a weak punch at PJ Washington then shoved an official away.  Had he done the same at a hospital or a bar, he would have been arrested.  I've seen people tased for similar.  That's not a "scuffle".  That's Russell Westbrook being a piece of shit and acting like a criminal.  I don't understand why we have Markieff Morris on this team if he isn't put in the next game to "start a scuffle" with Westbrook or Paul George.  

I'd also like to see Jason Kidd go after Ty Lue for permitting this behavior.  I'd like to see him make a statement to the media about it.  

I'm a NBA junkie and I've watched at least 1200 games over the past 10 years.  I have seen no other team play so dirty as the Clippers in the playoffs.  It's not a strategic tactic.  It's violence and should not be excused as Westbrook being a passionate competitor.

[myconsumerclub]

just have the Dallas Police arrest and hold Westbrick in jail for the maximum amount of time that they can do so legally for assault, next time he gets out of hand. Feed him some bologna sammiches. Rub that bread on your back side when you make that sammich too, give it a little extra flava.

[surfpuckmd]

just have the Dallas Police arrest and hold Westbrick in jail for the maximum amount of time that they can do so legally for assault, next time he gets out of hand. Feed him some bologna sammiches. Rub that bread on your back side when you make that sammich too, give it a little extra flava.

Finally somebody who gets it.

[KillerLeft]

You guys are giving Westbrook too much credit, in my opinion.

Grabbing Lukas’s arm was a little bit suspect and obviously born of frustration, But I didn’t think for a second he was trying to hurt Josh green on that block attempt. I think he has just lost so much of a step that he was that late going for the ball. Should’ve been a flagrant, don’t get me wrong, but I got the vibe that he was embarrassed, not trying to hurt someone.

[surfpuckmd]

If you remember the bubble, Morris and Harrell went out of their way to hurt an already hobbled Luka. 



The comparisons are so similar its creepy to me. Has to be coming from Lue.

I remember this too well.  That's why I'm surprised at the posters who said the Clippers are just trying to aggravate Luka.  They are aggravating him doing things that could easily injure him.

[surfpuckmd]

You guys are giving Westbrook too much credit, in my opinion.

Grabbing Lukas’s arm was a little bit suspect and obviously born of frustration, But I didn’t think for a second he was trying to hurt Josh green on that block attempt. I think he has just lost so much of a step that he was that late going for the ball. Should’ve been a flagrant, don’t get me wrong, but I got the vibe that he was embarrassed, not trying to hurt someone.

If the Josh Green incident had been an isolated incident during the game I would agree with you.  It wasn't.

Westbrook was so unhinged at the end of the game that he actually pushed a ref.  

It is amazing to me that he has not already been suspended.

The funny part is that the Clippers might be better off without him playing. He has not looked good and I don't think he'll still be in the NBA in 2 years.

[LukaMVP]

I think that partially explains why the league doesn't favor clippers. no league wants their star players injured due to dirty play. gonna be fun if lue and kidd start a fist fight. west and lue just act as criminals while kidd WAS one. and a brawl involving kidd and lue would get them both banned for a long while which would be good for the league as well as for them mavs.