DALLAS — We knew the first-round matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles would be a hard-fought battle. Both teams are full of ornery superstars, were separated by a single game in the standings by season’s end, and the two squads have a lot of permeating memories of each other from recent playoff showdowns.
The efforts shown by both teams have been staggeringly different so far in just two games, with the two playoff rivals trading wins and headaches in between games. The series now shifts to Nowitzki Way as a best of five with Dallas looking to prove their recent identity as a lockdown defensive machine, instead of the team that looked easily bullied and unprepared in game one.
The Mavericks’ offense played catch-up for nearly the entire first game, with P.J Washington being the only other player outside of the star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to take more than ten shots. It got ugly quick, with an embarrassing 2nd quarter where Dallas mustered just eight points pushing any first game Jason Kidd gameplan into the trash.
Irving was efficient on offense, especially money from outside, but Doncic went 11-26 as he shifted into the hero ball mode that Dallas has tried to move away from. The MVP candidate still finished with 33 points as the Mavs made a valiant second-half effort, but his shot selection was clearly affected by desperation and inefficiency. Dallas missed 23 threes and made only ten in the 109-97 Game 1 loss, and they clearly came out in their second effort determined to change their strategy.
While Game 1 felt like an uphill climb for the majority of the match, the second game was a rough back-and-forth reminiscent of a bygone era. Each possession was bruising basketball, and Dallas' defensive effort to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in the series suffocated the Clippers throughout their rotation.
Kawhi Leonard made his return for the Clippers after missing Game 1, but he took a backseat in the L.A. offense. The veteran superstar’s jump shot looked especially off, missing all five three-point looks. The Mavericks star backcourt played heavy minutes but looked better than their first effort. The Luka-Kyrie tag team was on the court longer than anyone on either side of the ball, with Doncic just shy of accumulating 46 minutes of playing time.
The most impressive sight of the game, though, was the defensive effort continuing as their stamina was tested. After an exhausting war that saw Washington step up alongside the star backcourt to play the entirety of the fourth quarter, Dallas survived 96-93 with several clutch shots when they mattered most.
Sometimes seen as a detriment, Doncic’s emotion was a catalyst for the Mavericks’ comeback. The dagger late fourth-quarter step back three in James Harden’s face after clamping him down on the other side of the court elicited a primal reaction that delighted lip readers everywhere.
Maxi Kleber, who entered the game in purgatory, delivered defensive intensity and a clutch three of his own in the final minutes that ignited the team. The victory felt like a statement win that they will now look to replicate as they return home for Game 3 Friday night, with a Sunday matinee for game four before the series returns to Los Angeles.
The Clippers won’t go down easily, of course, they have four likely future Hall of Famers on the roster with Russell Westbrook and George Paul teaming up with Harden and Leonard, and they each fought down to the wire in Game 2, regardless of injury status or age.
Dallas also returns home with a split at the cost of their first playoff casualties. The Mavs lost Tim Hardaway Jr. to an ankle sprain for possibly the series early in the Game 2 victory, and starting center Daniel Gafford quickly exited as well due to back issues. Gafford remains questionable for the time being but was already having his hands full with Ivica Zubac’s aggressive play before he got hurt in Tuesday’s 1st quarter.
The Mavericks “Third Option” center tandem that closed the regular season so successfully is now potentially limited to the shoulders of 20-year-old rookie Dereck Lively II, with the need for playoff minutes from end-of-bench options Dwight Powell and Markieff Morris increasing in Gafford’s absence.
Kleber’s defense and open shooting in Los Angeles was sorely needed, but the Clippers’ plan inside for Zubac to throw his weight around is obvious, and Kleber’s presence works better when he’s not the main rim protector. Dallas will be hopeful for Gafford’s return not only to the lineup but to the form that he showed entering the playoffs, but the ascension of fellow trade deadline acquisition Washington in only his second playoff game ever cannot be understated.
Irving and Doncic closing has been the Mavs’ ace in the hole that got them to this point, and they went a combined three for four on three-pointers in the fourth, but a continuation of Washington’s elevated play and progression into the Mavs playoff third option may make the difference in this series for Dallas.
As the teams were throwing haymakers back and forth in the fourth quarter, Washington scored 10 of his 18 points on the night in the final 12 minutes, including two three-pointers that pushed Dallas over the top. Los Angeles was doing their best to make someone not named Irving or Doncic take a shot, and a reliable third option for the Mavs will allow Dallas to cherry-pick how to dismantle the Clippers defense.
Do you think the Mavericks will make use of home court to get a leg up on LA? Share your predictions with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
