Luka Doncic had his 3rd career playoff triple-double. No other Mavericks player has even had one in the playoffs.
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The Dallas Mavericks came away with the surprising series-opening win despite the LA Clippers being the heavy favorites. Everything went perfectly for Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA play-offs vs the Clippers. Aside from Kristaps Porzingis having a poor shooting night, Luka Doncic went off for a triple-double. He got considerable support from Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Jalen Brunson and Josh Richardson. The Mavericks’ chances rest on them being able to knock down shots, something that hasn’t always been consistent this season.
Luka Doncic meant business in the Dallas Mavericks’ postseason opener. The young star posted a 31-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound triple-double in the win.
It was exactly the type of performance we’ve come to expect from Doncic, and the Clippers couldn’t really do anything to stop him.
Dallas were helped by the fact they shot 47.2 percent from 3-point territory, while the Clippers went 11 of 40 from deep.
It was two extremes of a performance on both sides, something we may not see again from either team throughout this series.
Despite the loss, the Clippers actually played Doncic well; he was just knocking down difficult shots. The main issue they need to address for Game 2 is coming out so slow in the first quarter.
Dallas put up 32 points in the first frame of action, and the Clippers allowed Doncic and the rest of the Mavericks to get into a rhythm. This in turn gave them confidence the rest of the game.
The Clippers need to come out stronger to start Game 2, something this team has struggled with throughout the season.
There should be some extra motivation, so expect to see a stronger response from this team in the opening minutes of Game 2. Otherwise, the Clippers could find themselves 2-0 down in the series heading to Dallas.
