GAME 6 Playoffs 2024: Dallas Mavericks (3-2) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (2-3)

[OBX Maverick]

Eff you Harden and your prima Donna, self-serving, loafing, embellishing self.  Go back to the cave you came from!

Dang it! I’ve been waiting to say that for awhile!!!

[BolsDamols]

I hope they spend the next few days looking for Luka’s 3 point shot, it has been MIA in this series to say the least

[fifteenth]

I hope they spend the next few days looking for Luka’s 3 point shot, it has been MIA in this series to say the least

Might have to find a healthy knee first.

[The Jom]

Maxi is essential for the WCFs. Not sure he’s needed against the Thunder. I think they’re soft. Expecting Mavs to advance.

[BolsDamols]

Might have to find a healthy knee first.

true, and give maxi a new shoulder

[Branduil]

Maxi is essential for the WCFs. Not sure he’s needed against the Thunder. I think they’re soft. Expecting Mavs to advance.

I don't think they're soft, but they are young. The Pels didn't give them much resistance, but the Mavs have the much better frontcourt than NO minus Zion (and better backcourt obviously)

[omahen]

Five days rest for Luka. Should be enough to get over the cold. Not sure about the knee. Did not look good in the 4th quarter.

I may be wrong, but I think it was the other leg that was troubling him in the fourth. 

In any case, Mavs in 6! They were just a better team and if the Clipps wouldn't have had two out of the world shooting performances, the series would be even shorter. Mavs played phenomenal defense whole series and showed huge heart always fighting, even when down 31. They also showed they have the mental stability and were not rattled even when they lost the fourth game which could change the momentum with series moving back to LA. 

They also overcame a not a great series by Luka. He did control most of the games, but his shot was just off. No idea what happened, is it the leg bothering him or just a shooting slump. Shots he was taking he was hitting at good percentage whole season. For example most of his three pointers tonight, those were easy shots in regular season. He has 5 days to work over it now and I expect he appears in the second round as the playoff Luka we know from the past. 

Minor note for todays fourth quarter. Luka checked out when Mavs got that huge lead. Like us, it seems he said to himself "the series is over". Might be all the effort of the series came after him and all the pains from the injuries he has. Whatever. I knew he will miss those shots he had to took at the end of offenses (I think it was three in a row). I think Kidd should recognize that and take him out, bringing in a guy with energy to fight for a couple of minutes and then return a fresher and more focused Luka if needed.

[The Jom]

All good points but rather than the cold or the knee, I suspect Luka’s chief problem was a talented Terance Mann. Kyrie was phenomenal. But he didn’t have to fight Mann all night/series long.

[BolsDamols]

Mann was awesone, too bad he was on the other side, would not mind having him on this team.

I think he has earned Luka’s respect too. .In his eyes, he is not a nobody anymore. Made his life hell.

I dont think Dort and company will do as good a job as he did defensively against Luka.

[Luka77]

Mann was awesone, too bad he was on the other side, would not mind having him on this team.

I think he has earned Luka’s respect too. .In his eyes, he is not a nobody anymore. Made his life hell.

I dont think Dort and company will do as good a job as he did defensively against Luka.

I don't know if it was Mann or Luka is just way off due to his knee.  

I have never seen him miss so many open shots that he usually makes.

[Branduil]

Mann played good defense but that's not new for Luka, he's clearly hurt. Hopefully 4 days rest+meds will help

[OBX Maverick]

Maxi is essential for the WCFs. Not sure he’s needed against the Thunder. I think they’re soft. Expecting Mavs to advance.

Unfortunately, given the mechanism of his injury, I would wager to say that he suffered an AC joint injury. Hopefully he didn’t break his clavicle and just sprained the area. I didn’t hear about any fracture yet, so that’s a good sign. 

The good thing is that he’s not playing football. The bad thing is that basketball is still a contact sport where you have to raise your arms over your head frequently.  It might come down to a pain tolerance thing as well. However, this could very well be a multiple week injury. 

Not sure what Maxi was trying to do on that play aside from trying to make a sweeping hero dunk (which he looked too far away to attempt). It seems like more and more players are trying to do that, putting themselves at risk for a hard fall when their legs are taken out from under them. How many times have you thought DJJ was gonna be hurt this season after one of his dunk attempts? On a related note, we are lucky Lively didn’t get hurt when he fell awkwardly. That looked really bad at first, especially given the injury he just came back from.

[Winter]

Great discussion of game at Hoops Tonight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbZ1N2lzpPw

Very good commentary of Irving and then again on Lively

[SleepingHero]

Mann was awesone, too bad he was on the other side, would not mind having him on this team.

I think he has earned Luka’s respect too. .In his eyes, he is not a nobody anymore. Made his life hell.

I dont think Dort and company will do as good a job as he did defensively against Luka.

I think Dort is as good of a defender if not better than Mann, but I agree, he was awesome.

[The Jom]

I think Dort is as good of a defender if not better than Mann, but I agree, he was awesome.

He is stronger, shorter, slower, no?