BJ Mathews is the host of the THE PULL UP! Basketball Podcast. He is a Clippers credentialed creator representing thePeachBasket. In this article, Perfect Zubac, Playoff Kawhi: Clippers Crush Mavericks in Statement Win, he recaps the Clippers recent statement win against the Dallas Mavericks.
INGLEWOOD, Calif.– —-Kawhi Leonard and James Harden both scored 29 points a piece versus the Dallas Mavericks. The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Mavericks on a back-to-back 135-104 to complete a four game winning streak
Ivica Zubac notched 25 points (11-11 FG) and 10 rebounds. In the second half, the Clippers outscored the Mavericks 72-50.
Anthony Davis came back for the second half of the back to back to lead the Mavericks in scoring with 27 points. Klay Thomposn added 14 points (5-10 FG). PJ Washington followed up with a quiet 12 points. The Mavericks are struggling to convert offense without their All-Star Kyrie Irving.
The Clippers are hitting their stride at the right time of the season. Head coach Ty Lue spoke on how this team was similar to his past championship teams: “Yeah, I mean when you go into a game and you feel like you got a chance to win every night, you know,that says a lot about your team and who you are. You know, and so, it’s just a special unit, special group. Haven’t had a chance to be together for a long period of time, but the guys are figuring it out and like I said, the run we’ve been on is because of those guys.“
He continued, “You know, I said, put ego aside, you know, it doesn’t matter, whose night it is. Being able to play through the game and the biggest thing for us is just win games, and they’ve been able to do that. They’ve been able to put personal things aside in order to win games and that’s huge when you’re trying to win at a high level.”
Clippers Crush Mavericks: Takeaways
Mavericks: In a matchup, against a top five ranked defense like the Clippers. The Mavericks showed they were really missing All-Star Kyrie Irving’s scoring and playmaking ability. With that being said, their other All-Star Anthony Davis has been playing exceptional basketball since his abdominal injury on his debut versus the Houston Rockets two months ago. Currently, the Mavericks are the ninth seed in the Western conference,and it looks like they’ll stay there.
Clippers: With four games left in their season, the Clippers are the seventh seed in the Western conference. They seem to be clicking at the right time with both their offense and defense being ranked top 10 in the NBA.
Key Moment
With 2:55 left in the third quarter, Derrick Jones Jr took flight with a monster dunk from the baseline to give the Clippers a 92-71.
Key Stat
Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points on 12/19 shooting in 25 minutes.
Up Next
The Mavericks return home versus the Los Angeles Lakers, and the return of Luka Doncic. The Clippers will finish their last two home games on a back-to-back against the San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets.
