Here's a quick look back at the Mavericks' 109-97 loss in Game 1 of the first round of their playoff series against the LA Clippers on Sunday afternoon.
Mavs guards struggle in first half: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's first postseason as a backcourt duo got off to a rocky start. They are known for their attacks that seem to be automatic, but they struggled to score early in the game.
Doncic made just four of his first 13 shot attempts, finishing with 33 points (11-of-26 from the field), 13 rebounds and six assists. Irving missed five of his first six shots, but made up for those mistakes with an exceptional performance in the second half.
Both players missed the final two games of the regular season, and Rust had factored in an early slump in the offense as he hadn't seen a proper game in 11 days since the April 10 win over Miami. there is a possibility.
Great third quarter from Irving: Irving shook off a rough start by converting all eight of his attempts in the third quarter. It was a great performance from a Mavericks guard who has a history of letting bad players go down the drain in the postseason.
Irving's most memorable moment came with two minutes left in the quarter when he drove baseline and finished an up-and-down reverse layup to avoid Paul George's block attempt. He had 31 points and seven rebounds.
If Irving and Doncic can improve their second-half performances into the first half of Tuesday's game, the Mavericks should be even more competitive in Game 2.
No Kawai, no problem: The Clippers couldn't afford Kawhi Leonard, but they had two other All-Stars in the starting lineup and another on the bench. James Harden, George, and Russell Westbrook were more than capable of carrying the scoring load.
Harden, in particular, benefited from the extra chance. The former leading scorer has shifted to being more of a facilitator these days, but he showed his offensive ability early in Game 1. He scored 11 points in the first quarter, including eight points in a row for the team in the final minute and a half.
Harden had 28 points and eight assists, showing the right balance as a point guard in Los Angeles. George totaled 22 points and six rebounds. Westbrook had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. He found Harden cutting the baseline in the first half and made several dunks, including an alley-oop.
Leonard could miss Game 2 on Tuesday.
Scoring drought from 3 point range: You only need to look at each team's disproportionate 3-point shooting percentages to see where Dallas lost the game. LA connected on 18-of-36 from beyond the arc. That's a 50% mark, which is impressive for a postseason game that doesn't have many transition opportunities. On the other hand, what about the Mavericks? He was successful on only 10 of his 33 attempts, or 30.3%. That's not a good way to succeed.
Gafford's early foul trouble led to Lively's playoff debut. The Mavericks struggled to contain Ivica Zubac, who finished with a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds. The Clippers' centers established themselves early in the paint, which often led to easy baskets at the rim. He also committed one of Gafford's early two fouls, leading to the return of Derek Lively II.
Sunday was Lively's first game since injuring her knee on March 31st. He had three points, four rebounds and made a huge impact on the defensive end with three blocks. He made a few mistakes near the rim, which was likely due to playoff anxiety. His and Gafford's involvement on both ends of the floor will be essential to the success of the Mavericks, who are currently trailing 0-1 in the series.
