After being eliminated twice in the playoffs by the Los Angeles Clippers in recent years, the Dallas Mavericks overcame their struggles with Kyrie Irving as their closer.
DALLAS — Assigned to their third playoff matchup in the past five years, the Dallas Mavericks finally defeated the Los Angeles Clippers to advance to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, winning the series 4-2 did.
Despite dropping Game 1 of the series to evoke flashbacks of disappointing series losses in 2020 and 2021, it became clear as the series progressed that the Mavericks were the better team from top to bottom. Ta.
The Game 6 win was a fitting end to Luka Doncic, putting an end to the specter that has brought the franchise home throughout his career. The Mavs' playoff performance during the Doncic era was largely dependent on Luka's Super Saiyan transformation, and they needed history-making games night after night to even have a chance.
But in this year's matchup, Doncic needed help more than ever, as it was a quieter series than his mythical past. The Slovenian sensation was still the reason Dallas advanced, but even with knee issues, he averaged nearly 30 points per game, nearly a triple, and made consecutive 3-pointers. He made just 23.9% of his shots from deep. -double.
Had he been a supporting player like in previous matchups, the Mavs likely wouldn't have been able to withstand Doncic's stranglehold, and a poor series from a do-it-all superstar would have doomed the Mavs. But this year was different because the Mavericks were different. Mainly because they are not just Luke's heroic deeds.
The 2024 Mavericks were able to survive the first round despite Doncic's poor shooting against a talented team largely due to improved defense, depth on the roster, and Kyrie. As Iving has proven, that's thanks to the addition of All-NBA teammates who can carry the load. X factor. Dallas has shown that the differences on its roster are real, making it a team worthy of contending as a Final Four team in the league's best conference.
Irving's performance against the Clippers made even the most ardent Kyrie hater soften. As much as his nearly 50-40-90 shooting percentage in the regular season reminded the league why he's on the shortlist for the league's top guards, Irving's series line was 52. He averaged 26.5 points on % shooting (and 45% on 3-pointers). He tipped the scales in Dallas' favor.
Simply put, with Doncic putting that mantle in the closet, Irving has surpassed each of the superstars on the Los Angeles side, further elevating his role as the Mavs' de facto closer going forward.
While the Irving trade is fully tested, the addition of P.J. Washington, who was traded for Grant Williams at the trade deadline, not only changed the chemistry for the better, but also gave the Mavs perhaps the best in over a decade. It brought in a defensive roster.
Partnering with Washington and wing Derrick Jones Jr. in the starting lineup, the Clippers superstar was a good fit. The entire team, from Doncic to rookie rim protector Derek Lively II, fed off the defensive energy and improved dramatically in the second half.
The 20-year-old Lively relieved Daniel Gafford, another acquisition midway through the season, at crucial times and shot 75% from the floor in the series, giving Mavs fans a sense of the center position and bench unit for the next year. It reminded me of how far away I was before.
The increased playing time led to some wear and tear on the roster, with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber going down with illness in the opening game. Dallas will be missing a number of shooting talents going forward, and will have to figure out how to recover from the absence of Kleber's on-man defense, but the Mavs have a restructured roster that will help them make the most of this postseason. It showed how it can be a headache for any team.
The loss to Los Angeles sent the Clippers to offseason purgatory. Dallas' dismantling of a defunct superteam was likely the final nail in the coffin for an aging roster looking to debut in a new arena. James Harden is an unrestricted free agent, but Paul George has a player option to return. But there are many questions about Kawhi Leonard's availability and how much former MVP Russell Westbrook has left in the tank.
Meanwhile, Dallas opted to skip Cancun and take a flight to Oklahoma City, starting Tuesday night with a series against the No. 1 seed in the West that finally killed off recent playoff stalwarts.
Do you think the Mavericks can compete against the top-seeded Thunder? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
