I thought this is what the Clippers wanted?
The Dallas Mavericks walk into the Staples Center, and steal Game 1 in the first round rematch against the Los Angeles Clippers, 113-103.
Dallas rallied behind their young and fearless leader, Luka Doncic. He tallied a triple-double, scoring 31 points, along with 11 assists and 10 rebounds. His aggressive start to this game gave his team an immediate spark, and the team never looked back since tip-off.
Luka-Meter
During the course of this series, I’ll be keeping a “Luka Complaining Counter.” I’ll be keeping a tally of how many times he complains to the refs about a call/no-call. Not to be extra critical of Luka, but to see how it affects his team, and the game result. I counted only 2 Luka complaints to the refs today, he kept his composure and acted as the leader that the coaching staff wants.
Clippers’ superstar duo, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, played well for LA, but didn’t get enough help from their supporting cast in the loss. The two combined for 49 points, but only 3-14 from three. The rest of the Clippers followed suit behind their leaders missing shots, shooting 11-40 from three as a team this afternoon.
This was a fun game to witness! Superstars were trading punches, several lead changes late in the 4th, and fans are back! This is going to be a fun series, and Mavs fans will celebrate their Game 1 victory. But remember, you need 4 wins to advance, and Kawhi Leonard is still on the other team’s roster.
Star of the Game
Luka set the tone for this entire series in the first quarter. His 12 points and 4 assists in the first, gave his team a 17-6 lead early, forcing a Clippers’ timeout.
In the second quarter, the Clippers went on a bit of a run. Huge buckets from Patrick Beverley and Rajon Rondo boosted LAC back into this game. Luka answered late in the half, with an assist on a three to Tim Hardaway Jr., and then a three of his own to give his squad some breathing room going into the locker room, 60-55.
Doncic continued his hot shooting in the third quarter, racking up a couple threes early, which gave him 30 points through three quarters.
He scored just one point in the fourth, but played great on-ball defense to help seal the deal for Dallas.
Biggest Concern
Kristaps Porzingis looked a little sloppy today at times. It doesn’t appear that Los Angeles has an answer defensively for him though, he just needs to settle in and play his game.
Surprise Contribution
Tim Hardaway Jr. was must-see TV today. 21 points and 5-9 from deep, including several clutch buckets down the stretch. Seems Junior is peaking at the right time for the Mavs, and Dallas has always been in need of a third guy they can rely on. We’ll see if he can continue to cook.
Next Game
Game 2 at Los Angeles Clippers, May 25th at 9:30pm CT
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MAVS WIN FIRST GAME MAVS WIN FIRST GAME
Written by Riley Burt
Riley was born and raised in the great state of New Hampshire, but has lived in the Dallas area for the past 15 years. He’s a die-hard Celtics fan but is more in tune with the Dallas Mavericks, thanks to being a loyal P1 to the greatest radio station known to man, 96.7/1310 The Ticket in Dallas. Riley aspires to become a morning radio show host, where he can talk about sports, daily news, and lifestyle. He will be covering the Dallas Mavericks for thePeachBasket starting March 2021.
