The Mavericks faced off against the Clippers in a highly anticipated matchup that ended in a disappointing 90-101 loss for Dallas. The game started off with both teams trading baskets, but the Clippers quickly gained momentum and took control of the game. Despite their best efforts, the Mavericks struggled to keep up with the Clippers' offensive firepower and were unable to make a comeback in the second half.
One of the standout performances of the game came from Clippers' star player Kawhi Leonard, who scored a game-high 30 points and led his team to victory. On the other hand, Mavericks' superstar Luka Doncic had a solid performance with 25 points, but it wasn't enough to secure a win for his team.
Kawhi Leonard played in the Clippers' 101-90 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of their first-round series on Friday, but looked nowhere close to 100%. He missed Game 1 with a knee injury and was considered questionable for Game 3.
The final result was nine points on 4-of-7 shooting with nine rebounds, two assists, four turnovers and a minus-4 rating in 24 minutes on the court. He didn't look anything like his usual dominant self on defense, either.
The second quarter was much more aesthetically pleasing from a basketball perspective. Gafford showcased his athleticism with an incredible block that led to a Luka basket. Two possessions later, Josh Green hit the first Maverick three point shot. A minute later, Green was able to get a dunk in transition after a chaotic scene that involved three steals in as many seconds. Shortly thereafter, James Harden looked like the James Harden of old after knocking down back-to-back 3-point shots. Luka was able to knock down a step back three of his own and cut the Clipper lead down to four.
After Russell Westbrook committed a flagrant foul on a Josh Green dunk attempt, it was all Mavericks from there. A 16-2 run, highlighted by a number of thunderous dunks by Lively, propelled the Mavericks into the lead. Some tough defense and timely shots allowed the Mavericks to take a 54-41 lead into the half.
As Clippers’ coach Tyronn Lue said before Friday’s game: “Oh, he’s a great defender. He takes the challenge. I think we only scored two times out of 17 (one-on-one defensive situations for Luka). So he’s doing a good job. And when your best player takes that challenge, you’re a whole different team.”
The Mavericks certainly were a different team in the second quarter than they were in the first on Friday. They had trailed most of the way and were down 32-25 early in the second quarter.
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