DALLAS — With a chance to take a series lead at 2-1, the Dallas Mavericks cruised to a 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. In the superstar duo's home playoff debut, Luka Doncic led the way with 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while Kyrie Irving added 21 points and six assists.
The Mavericks kept turnovers low and had a strong performance in the paint, shooting just 9-for-34 (26.5%) from the perimeter and defeating Los Angeles by a 52-38 margin. Another focus was on increasing pace, resulting in 22 fast break points.
April 26, 2024. Dallas, Texas, USA.Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates after scoring a goal.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Mavericks' starting lineup outside of their superstar backcourt has been strengthened. PJ Washington had 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block. Derrick Jones Jr. had 11 points and three rebounds. Daniel Gafford started the day questionable with back spasms but added eight points, four rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Dallas got 13 points and two blocks from Derek Lively II, and Josh Green added eight points and five rebounds. Each player made necessary contributions defensively and helped add much-needed depth to Dallas' ever-improving defense.
The Clippers' leading scorers were James Harden and Norman Powell, who each scored 21 points. Ivica Zubac had 19 points and eight rebounds. But most of the Clippers' superstars struggled, with the offense turning the ball over 19 times and shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and 34.5 percent from the perimeter.
Kawhi Leonard appeared to be in less rhythm than when he returned, totaling just nine points, nine rebounds, and two assists in 25 minutes, while making just seven shots. Paul George finished in single digits (9 points) despite having an inefficient shooting night. Not only was Russell Westbrook ejected, he missed all seven of his shot attempts and scored one point in 19 minutes.
The Clippers emphasized the importance of being disciplined in their defensive game plan in this game, especially getting the right players off the line and closing in on others. Dallas was held to an 18-point lead in the first quarter, but led by just 23-18 at the end of the period. Doncic and Irving couldn't find a rhythm.
After Irving went to the bench, Dante Exum entered the game, and the Mavericks began to show more of the Horns' offensive power while playing a double-big lineup with Derek Lively II and Maxi Kleber. . But the focus soon shifted to Doncic's injury situation.
After Doncic reversed the drive, he left the game with a lower-body injury. He initially sat on the bench and was checked on by the training staff, then immediately went to the locker room. He managed to get back into the game before the end of the first quarter.
Harden, who scored 14 points in the first half, kept the Clippers ahead early in the second quarter with a series of well-timed step-back 3-pointers. Doncic began unraveling Los Angeles' defensive scheme in two-man games with Lively, using various techniques to identify drop coverage and the occasional blitz.
Doncic started to heat up in the second quarter, hitting a step-back 3-pointer to the left in front of the Clippers bench to give the Mavericks the lead. Derrick Jones Jr. hit a step-back 3-pointer in the corner and Dallas went on a 12-0 run to take a 37-32 lead midway through the frame.
Momentum continued in the Mavericks' favor, building a game-high eight-point lead with a potential one-and-one finish from Derek Lively II. Although he missed the free throw, he made up for it with a strong rejection in the paint on the opposing side. Irving cut downhill and produced another lob to Lively.
The Mavericks outscored the Clippers 36-18 in the second quarter and entered the break with a 54-41 advantage. Doncic made three more stepbacks and the Mavericks led 31-9 until Terrence Mann made two free throws at 11:11 of the third period.
Dallas held a double-digit lead throughout the third frame as Doncic continued to guide the Mavericks' offense against the Clippers' switching and decisions to swarm strong teams. The approach often taken defensively was to discount LA's “weaker” shooters like Westbrook and Mann, and the lack of catch-and-shoot jumpers falling in this game often paid off. did.
After the Clippers cut the lead against the Mavericks to 11 points, Doncic made a sprayout pass, relying on Maxi Kleber's catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, and it paid off. Dallas trailed by 14 points. But the Clippers didn't give up and went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to six points. Fouls were an issue, with Exum committing a foul on a 3-point shot, which resulted in Norman Powell making all of his 3-pointers.
Irving made a series of challenging plays to keep the Mavericks' momentum going, ending the third quarter and scoring the team's last eight points of the period. Between the 3-point shot, the flashy pass fake on the drive that led to a scoop finish, the flash of the pass and the and-one finish, Irving was making big plays. Dallas entered the fourth quarter with a 78-67 lead.
Doncic set the tone for the Mavericks with a floater to start the fourth quarter. Irving responded with a 3-pointer, followed by a strong block from Gafford on George's poster dunk attempt. Dallas led by 17 points going into a timeout when Terrence Mann and P.J. Washington committed double technical fouls.
For the Mavericks, Doncic forced the break and connected with Washington with a spectacular alley-oop dunk, briefly extending the lead to 19 points. Harden responded with a step-back 3-pointer, but Dallas continued to make timely plays.
The Mavericks started focusing on switch hunting on offense, and the first attempt of this stretch to order a late double was applied to Irving after Doncic screened. Dallas ran its offense through Doncic in the second half, and the Clippers' approach was to double Irving.
Irving hit a fadeaway 3-pointer after a play broke down to give the Mavericks their first 20-point lead, pushing the Mavericks' advantage to 91-70.
“It's the will and the heart of a champion. You have to get out of your own way,” Irving said. “I think growing up over the years really taught me to make the game my own.”
Dallas closed out the game with its favored small frontcourt combination of Washington and Clever, looking to spread the floor and maximize defensive versatility with transitions. But Washington reacted to Westbrook's dirty play and received a second technical foul, resulting in both players being ejected midway through the fourth quarter.
The Clippers cut the lead against the Mavericks to 13 points after Powell made a contested layup. Irving quickly responded with a strong baseline jumper and made another timely play to get back within 15 points. He maintained his own offensive power by shifting Zubac in a pick-and-roll and then shooting Zubac with a pull-up near the nail. He took the shot off balance before it fell to the ground, keeping Dallas ahead by 15 points. Doncic was at the free throw line and checked out of the game with 2:47 left.
The Clippers brought in reserves for the remaining games, showing that the Mavericks were on their way to victory.
The teams will play Game 4 of the series on Sunday at American Airlines Center.
