The Clippers face off against the Dallas Mavericks, finally close to healthy, for the first game in a double-header,

Game Information

Where: Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California

When: 7:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports SoCal, AM 1150

Projected Starting Lineups

Mavericks: Spencer Dinwiddie – Klay Thompson – PJ Washington – Anthony Davis – Dereck Lively II

Clippers: James Harden – Norm Powell – Kris Dunn – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Injuries

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving Out (ACL), Dante Exum Out (Hand), Olivier Maxence-Prosper Out (Wrist)

Clippers: Jordan Miller Out (Hamstring), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League), Seth Lundy Out (G-League), Patrick Baldwin Out (G-League)

This is another game thread while I’m on vacation. Enjoy!

Clippers vs Mavericks Game Thread: Start of a B2B
Robert Flom

The Clippers will square off once more against the Mavericks, who they beat Thursday night on the road in Dallas.

Game Information

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

When: 5:30 PM PT

How to Watch: KTLA, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Derrick Jones Jr. – Ivica Zubac

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving – Quentin Grimes – Klay Thompson – PJ Washington – Dereck Lively II

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Out (Finger), Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Mavericks: Luka Doncic Out (Heel), Hardy Out (Ankle), Dante Exum Out (Wrist), Brandon Williams Out (Thumb)

Notes

Baseball Series: The Clippers have one of these baseball series earlier this season, against the Rockets, and it did not go well. The Clippers have already done better than they did against Houston by winning the first game of this mini-series. However, it’s always tough to beat a team twice in short succession, and the Mavs will have a big shift for this one due to Kyrie Irving being available. Despite being competitive on Thursday, the Mavs just never had the firepower to get over the hump in the second half. Well, Kyrie is a unique kind of firepower on his own, so the Mavs will have a much stronger unit tonight. Even with Luka out, the Clippers had better be ready, because the Mavs will want some payback.

Shortened Rotation: Ty Lue somewhat unexpectedly trimmed his rotation on Thursday, with Jordan Miller not appearing until garbage time and Bones Hyland not playing at all. Thus, the Clippers were down to just nine players in the rotation, which has been unusual this year. There are two likely reasons why Ty did this. The first is that Kawhi Leonard is close to returning, which means the Clippers were going to have to cut the minutes of a number of players anyway. Second, and what I really hope is not the reason, is that Jordan had a couple bad performances in a row before Thursday. I hope that’s not the case because Ty has stuck with Kevin Porter Jr. all season despite him being mostly awful, and I hate when coaches play favorites like that. It’s probably a combination of both, but it was sad to see Jordan out of the rotation again. Still, it’s exciting to think that Kawhi’s return is, finally, imminent.

Clippers vs Mavericks Preview: Them Again
Robert Flom

The Clippers are looking to keep the good vibes going after their dominant win against the Jazz on Monday, but will face a much, much tougher opponent in the Dallas Mavericks.

Game Information

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

When: 5:30 PM PT

How to Watch: FanDuel Sports Network, AM 570

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Norman Powell – Kris Dunn – Nic Batum – Ivica Zubac

Mavericks: Luka Doncic – Kyrie Irving – Klay Thompson – PJ Washington – Dereck Lively II

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Out (Finger), Derrick Jones Jr. Questionable(Hamstring), Kobe Brown Out (Back), PJ Tucker Out (Away from team), Cam Christie Out (G-League), Trentyn Flowers Out (G-League)

Mavericks: Luka Doncic Questionable (Heel), Kyrie Irving Questionable (Shoulder), Maxi Kleber Questionable (Ribs), Jaden Hardy Out (Ankle), Dante Exum Out (Wrist)

The Big Picture

The Clippers are coming off a get-right game against the Jazz, a much-needed easy win after a few brutal losses. Their blowout victory pushed their offensive rating up from 25^th to 20^th, and their defensive rating from 7^th to 5^th: even one-third of the way through the season, single games can have big impacts on net ratings. Even better than the win over the lowly Jazz were the injury updates after Wednesday’s practice, with the news that Derrick Jones Jr. is ahead of schedule, Kawhi Leonard is practicing, and Kobe Brown is getting closer to a return. Reinforcements are on the way!

The Antagonist

By just about any metric, the Mavericks are one of the better teams in the NBA. Their record of 17-9 has them tied for 3^rd in the Western Conference, they have the 4^th ranked offense in the NBA, 11^th ranked defense, and are 6^th in Net Rating. They have done all this despite Luka Doncic getting off to a slow start (by his standards) at the beginning of the season. Part of that is injury luck: outside of Dante Exum, the Mavs have suffered no serious injuries. In fact, nine of their top 10 players in minutes per game have played at least 20 games out of 26 total. On top of that, the Mavs have seen continued development from second-year center Dereck Lively, and have received tremendous production from Quentin Grimes, who they picked up for cheap this summer. The Mavs are a well-rounded team with stars, sturdy role players at all positions, and some young talent with upside. They aren’t going anywhere.

Notes

Playoff Rematch: This is, of course, a rematch of the first round of the playoffs last year, as well as of the 2020 and 2021 playoffs. However, these teams are both somewhat different than they were just last spring, and very different than the early postseason contests. Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Mason Plumlee are off the Clippers and PJ Tucker has been banished, while Derrick Jones Jr. went from the Mavs to the Clippers and the Mavs picked up Grimes, Klay Thompson, and Naji Marshall. Thus, the matchups will be very different across the board.

Guarding Luka: The most important question when facing the Mavericks is figuring out how to guard Luka Doncic. For the Clippers, this is where health comes into play. Derrick Jones Jr. would be the ideal candidate to guard Luka, but he’s questionable and has missed a few games with a hamstring injury. This would be about as tough a matchup as possible, but you know DJJ would be game. If he can’t go, then the options for guarding Luka are Kris Dunn, Amir Coffey, and Nic Batum. Dunn is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, but he’s undersized on Luka – and is also a perfect cover on co-star Kyrie Irving. Nico is tall, long, strong, and physical, but not swift. Amir is quicker but not nearly as strong. If I had to guess, if DJJ can’t go, Nico will start and take the Luka assignment, while Norm takes Klay and Harden is on PJ Washington. If DJJ can go, this becomes a lot simpler.

Hunting Luka: On the other end, the Clippers need to try to make Luka defend. He’s an ok defender when he tries, but he does not like doing so, especially in a random regular season game. The Clippers have two guys in Harden and Norm who can do damage on Luka, Harden on-ball and Norm off-ball, and the Clippers should try to get those matchups as frequently as possible.

Clippers vs Mavericks Preview: Playoff Rematch
Robert Flom

The Clippers’ 2024 season, which had moments of such promise, ended tonight in the first round to the Dallas Mavericks, who outshot, outhustled, and outplayed the Clippers, 114-101.

Game Summary

The Clippers (shockingly starting PJ Tucker in place of Amir Coffey) started off the game looking like they did most of Game 5 – with no energy on either end or any discernible plan on offense. At the 7:32 mark, the Mavs led 13-6, and were able to grow their lead slightly in the next couple minutes, but not much because their own offense was cold. Still, it was 20-10, and the Mavs looked like they were going to pull away. Then, miraculously, the Clippers went on a 10-0 run spurred largely by PG and Hardn to tie the game. Things were still close late when the bench came in, with the score 25-24 at 2:02. From there, things fell apart, with a Russ-Amir-Mason unit looking terrible on both end, and a 9-2 Mavs run putting them up 34-26 after one.

Plumlee was thankfully exiled from the game for Zu, but Russ bricked an open corner three, and was pulled for Mann at the 11:30 mark. PG came back for Amir less than 30 seconds later. This unit, the starters with Norm instead of PJ Tucker, would play the entire rest of the quarter. And, after a couple rocky minutes, the Clippers really settled in. This was especially true on defense, where the Clippers rotated, did not foul, and forced Dallas turnovers. Their offense remained relatively ugly, but some Norm buckets helped them chip away at it. The Mavs’ drought continued, and the Clippers got closer and closer, until, finally, it was all tied at 48 at the 1:35 mark, with a 15-2 Clippers run. At half, the game was locked up at 52 apiece.

Somehow, someway, PJ started the 3^rd quarter again, and the Clippers looked terrible again. A swift 8-0 run by the Mavs forced a Ty timeout in less than two minutes. The Clippers’ offense finally started getting going, namely Harden and PG, but the Mavs were rolling now, and the lead continued to grow. At 7:10, Zu, who was looking tired, was pulled for Norm, with the Clippers going small. That didn’t do the trick, and the Mavs led by 14 just after the halfway point. Ty began to rotate guys in and out more quickly, staying small for a bit with Russ for PJ, then going back to Zu, and then bringing back Zu. Nothing really helped, with Kyrie going crazy and the Clippers offense not clicking. Going into the third quarter, the Mavs led 87-72.

The Clippers rolled out a unit of Harden, Norm, Amir, PG, and Zu, but they looked defeated. Kyrie immediately hit a three, and while Norm countered, the Mavs’ lead hit 20 at the 9:24 mark. Ty, in desperation, went to small ball, with Mann in for Zu. A minute later, PJ checked in for Amir. Predictably, the small ball units were not all that effective on offense and very bad on defense, and the lead hit 106-82 with 5:40 to go. Zu checked back for PG, of all people, and the Clippers went on a hilarious 13-2 run in 2:30 to force a Mavs timeout, 108-95 with 3:10 to go. George returned for Tucker, and the Clippers tried “hack-a-Lively” to no avail. The Mavs made their free throws, the Clippers missed threes, and the Clippers season ended 114-101.

Notes

Better Fight, Not Enough: This was a much, much better showing for the Clippers than Game 5, when they suffered their worst playoff loss in franchise, but was not nearly enough. Some of the deficiencies are just due to the Clippers playing without Kawhi, and having a very poor bench. But they gave up a ton of offensive rebounds, continued to let the Mavs’ physicality bother them on defense, and just looked too low on energy to start the game and 3^rd quarter. I want to shout out Ivica Zubac, Terance Mann, Norm Powell, and James Harden (in that descending order) for playing hard and really trying to win this game. The rest of the group, well..

Ty Lue, You Ok?: The Lakers fired Darvin Ham today, and Ty Lue was immediately linked as a candidate to replace him. Woj wrote an article that the Clippers are trying to sign Ty to an extension, and bring back PG and Harden. I think Ty, at the end of the day, is a good coach. But this was a bad series from him, by far the worst we’ve seen in a Clippers suit. Mason Plumlee, was, somehow, still his choice of backup center in the first half. He was a -7 in less than three minutes. PJ Tucker, who was out of the rotation for much of the year and is a non-threat on offense, started and played 20 minutes. I was advocating for a few minutes for PJ here or there, but not this. Somehow, Daniel Theis never got a minute of rotation play this series despite Plumlee’s play and the helplessness of the Clippers’ small-ball units. Nor did Bones Hyland, even in the midst of another terrible Russ (2-7 in 9 minutes) performance. Ty Lue is normally the tinkerer, but he really didn’t make almost any rotation adjustments in this series, and it was baffling. The Clippers’ offense just also never seemed to have any direction or strategy, from start to finish.

Missed Threes: I’m not excusing the loss on missing shots, but the Clippers were 8-31 from three, and 2-3 of those were by Tucker. They missed a ton of open looks all game from good shooters (PG was 2-10, Harden 0-6, and Norm 2-6) and sometimes those are the breaks. But the Clippers’ failure to create any kind of consistent offense can’t just be passed on an off shooting night.

Is This It for PG: This may have been Paul George’s last game in a Clippers jersey. The founding member of “213” had a better showing than Game 5, getting up 18 shots and scoring 18 points. But George was still, far, far too passive, settled for way too many threes instead of attacking, and was just “ok” on defense. There really just seemed to be a lack of urgency or fight for George in this elimination game, an all too common theme this series. PG will finish the six game series with one great game (4), one good game (1), one acceptable game (2), one bad game (6), and two all-time stinkers (3 and 5). That’s, uh, bad from a guy who wants a max contract this summer. Maybe PG is back, maybe he isn’t. But if it was his last game, what a sad note to end on.

Clippers Drop Game 6 to Mavs 114-101, Ending their 2024 Season
Robert Flom

The Clippers forfeited home court advantage with their horrendous Game 5 performance, and now have to win Game 6 or their season is over.

Game Information

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

When: 6:30 PM PT

How to Watch: ESPN, Watch ESPN, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Amir Coffey – Terance Mann – Paul George – Ivica Zubac

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving – Luka Doncic – Derrick Jones Jr. – PJ Washington – Daniel Gafford

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee), Terance Mann Questionable (Leg)

Mavericks: Tim Hardaway Out (Ankle), Olivier Maxence-Prosper Out (Ankle)

Notes

Go Out Swinging: In Game 5, Paul George took just 13 shots in 33 minutes, and Harden took 12 with a similar minutes load. Those numbers can’t be that low in Game 6, not with Kawhi Leonard out once again. There are games where you’re not shooting the ball well. It happens. But the Clippers’ stars being so passive on offense can’t happen, not when the Clippers have nobody else on the team who can create their own shots with any regularity. I’d rather see PG go 4-20 than 4-13, and same with Harden (though he has more of an excuse due to his playmaking). Even if PG and Harden don’t play well, I want to see aggression and a commitment to scoring, as the Clippers just don’t have enough firepower otherwise.

Feed Zu: Somewhat contradictory to that, the Clippers also have to feed Ivica Zubac. The big man has been exceptional in this series on both ends. The Clippers only being able to rebound and protect the paint when ZU is in the game is not a surprise, however. What has been a shock has been Zu’s 16 points per game on 61% shooting from the field. The Mavs have not really been able to stop Zu in the post, and when they’ve doubled him, Zu has done a solid job of kicking the ball back out. Considering the limitations of the rest of the roster, the Clippers really need to consider actively feeding Zu in the post in this game in a way they rarely do.

Rotation Adjustments: Ty Lue has played an 8-man rotation for nearly all of this series, with Russell Westbrook, Norm Powell, and Mason Plumlee being the three guys off the bench. I think that has to change in Game 6. The easiest swap is removing Plumlee for Daniel Theis or even PJ Tucker. Yes, the Mavs are big, and Plumlee provides some size. But Plumlee has been absolutely abysmal on defense and is shooting just 38.9% from the field. He can’t play. Russ has brought defense at times and his usual energy but is shooting an insanely bad 25.6% from the field – and is 6/35 (under 20%) since Game 1. The issue is that while Theis and Tucker have played in the rotation semi-recently, any replacement for Russ (Bones Hyland, Brandon Boston Jr.) has been out of the rotation for months and can’t be relied upon in this kind of situation. At the very least, I hope Tucker gets a few minutes here or there, for as dreadful as he’s been this year, at least he’s a different look.

Scheme Adjustments: I think the Clippers’ defense has held up well for the most part. In Game 5, they got sidetracked by wild defensive gambles (mostly Russ and Plumlee) and by helping too far off shooters. They need to go back to finding the right balance between trying to get the ball out of Luka and Kyrie’s hands and forcing them into tough 2 pointers with not allowing wide open threes to Mavs’ role players. But it’s on offense the Clippers need to make some adjustments. First, to counter the full-court pressure the Mavs are putting on Harden, they should have Amir or Mann bring the ball up the court. Second, outside of feeding Zu in the post, they need to run way more pick and rolls with him, especially with Harden. Third, they need to get into their offense quicker. This does not mean true fastbreaks all the time, but just pushing the ball up the court in a hurry to start the offense with 19 or 20 seconds on the shot clock instead of 15 or 16. Those few seconds make a huge difference.

Disclaimer: 213Hoops may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this post.

Clippers vs Mavericks Game 6 Preview: Win or Cancun
Robert Flom

After a spirited Game 4 performance, the LA Clippers gave home court advantage right back to the Mavericks, losing a pivotal Game 5 123-93 at home.

Summary

The game had the feel of a matinee game, as the Clippers stars started off very slowly. Thankfully, the Clippers supporting cast of Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac scored 15 of LA’s 24 points in the first quarter. Paul George and James Harden were ice cold, combined 2 of 10 in the quarter, though Harden was at least finding the role players to finish plays. Meanwhile Dallas was led by a hobbled Luka Doncic and the high-jumping Derrick Jones Jr., with contributions from Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively.

The second quarter was all Dallas. Dallas’ game plan was clearly to push the pace, and it was working. Poor defensive gambles by Russell Westbrook and Mason Plumlee often left the Clippers scrambling, leading to 4 (!) wide open three pointers made by Maxi Kleber for 12 points in the frame, and 8 easy points for Daniel Gafford. For the Clippers, Paul George looked invisible on offense (up to 7 for the half) and disengaged on defense. The dynamic duo of Terance and Zu were up to 24 points, with Norman Powell contributing 6 points as well. But it wasn’t enough as the Clippers found themselves trailing by 10 at halftime. 

The third quarter was more of the same. The Clippers scored 4 points for the large majority of the period, largely thanks to Paul George somehow further retreating into his shell. The lead swelled to 25 before Ty Lue inserted PJ Tucker into the game with 2:50 left in the period. Tucker immediately had an impact with his energy. The Clippers managed to cut the lead to 16, thanks to a series of stops and George finally finding his shooting stroke, before Plumlee committed a backbreakingly stupid foul, giving up a 4-point play to Josh Green and leaving the Clippers trailing by 20 again.

In the fourth quarter, the Clippers came out with desperate energy, but it wasn’t enough against the comfortable and disciplined Mavericks. There were multiple possessions with multiple attempts that ended up fruitless, and that pretty much ended the night for the Clippers. With 7 minutes left in the game Ty pulled the stars. More than any other game this series, the Clippers sorely missed Kawhi Leonard’s steadying presence and star power tonight.

Notes

Where’s Pauldo?: Aside from a brief stretch at the end of the third quarter, Paul George was the most frustrating version of himself: the one that seems to prefer being a role player standing in the corner and giving the ball to the team’s actual stars. He was constantly throwing grenades to his teammates, forcing Amir Coffey and Norman Powell to create something out of nothing with less than 5 seconds on the clock. Paul would often look like he was going to make something happen, and then the briefest hint of defense would send him backpedaling. It might seem harsh, but he’s supposed to be the best scorer for the Clippers right now. Credit to the defense of course, but there was just no effort and drive tonight. The Clippers absolutely cannot survive another performance like this from him. 15 points in a must-win game on 31% shooting with 0 steals and 0 blocks. Paul can—no, Paul must be better.

The Harden Roller Coaster: After a masterclass in Game 4, we knew the other side of the Harden coin was coming at some point. Harden’s shot wasn’t falling all game, but at least in the first half he was finding his teammates. But in the second half he completely lost the plot, with 0 assists and 3 turnovers. I’m in no way blaming this loss on Harden because the Clippers can survive nights like this from him, as they have many times this season, even when short-handed. But the Clippers can’t survive nights like this when they’re also getting the goofy version of Paul George.

Defending the Role Players: The Clippers got solid games from Zu, Terance, and Norman, but the Mavericks’ role players outplayed them. Kleber was a flamethrower from deep, hitting timely three after timely three, DJJ was blocking shots left and right, and Lively was a constant lob threat. The Clippers had been defending the Mavericks’ stars well enough all series, making them score the hard way. But their inability to stop the Mavericks’ role players tonight was what doomed them. And it’s not like Dallas’ supporting cast is particularly adept at scoring, but poor rotations and puzzling defensive decision-making led to a lot of wide open shots.

Luka Doncic Flu Game: After telling the media he was sick, Luka proceeded to put up 35 points on 54% shooting. Next time I’m going to need to see a doctor’s note because I call BS.

And that was Game 5. Let’s never, ever speak of it again. Fortunately for the Clippers, they’re better on the road than at home this year. So by my estimation they’ve still got a puncher’s chance at tying up the series 3-3 and sending this thing back to LA for Game 7.

Clippers vs Mavericks Game 5 Recap: Clippers Stars Vanish in 123-93 Loss at Home
Erik Olsgaard

After taking back home court advantage from the Dallas Mavericks in an instant classic Game 4, the Clippers are back in Los Angeles for Game 5, hoping to take a 3-2 advantage in the series.

Game Information

Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California

When: 7:00 PM PT

How to Watch: TNT, Bally Sports SoCal, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets!

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Amir Coffey  – Ivica Zubac

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving – Luka Doncic – Derrick Jones Jr. – PJ Washington – Dereck Lively II

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Out (Knee)

Mavericks: Luka Doncic Probable (Knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. Out (Ankle), Daniel Gafford Questionable (Back), Olivier Maxence-Prosper Out (Ankle)

Notes

Kawhi’s Health: Before Game 4, when Lawrence Frank noted that Kawhi was out for the game, he said that the team wouldn’t put a timetable on Kawhi’s return and that the Clippers’ star wouldn’t be back until “he can make all the movements that he needs to make.” So there’s a good chance that Kawhi is not coming back during this series. And even if he does try to will himself back, is that actually the best thing for the team? The Clippers have found success without Kawhi on the court, thanks to the heroics of James Harden and Paul George. For any real championship run, the Clippers will need a healthy Kawhi Leonard. And so getting past the first round without him, giving him that time to heal, is probably their only realistic path.

The Mavs’ Next Chess Move: What cards do the Mavericks have up their sleeve? Our instincts tell us that surely a Luka master-class is coming, but if his knee continues to be an issue, maybe it’s not such a guarantee. And we’ve already seen one Kyrie explosion in game 4. But what else can Jason Kidd get out of this Dallas roster? The Mavs had been best going small, but in Game 4 James Harden repeatedly carved up the smaller lineup with short floaters that he’s been practicing, a shot which Jason Kidd appears comfortable to let him continue to take. So do they go big again? It hasn’t been working when they have, largely because neither Gafford nor Lively can pull Zubac away from the paint, and both have been doormats for Big Zu in the post. Right now the pressure is all on Dallas to adjust because they can’t just assume Kyrie will be able to produce another Steph Curry impression, and Luka is already doing all he can.

Luka’s Knee: Luka’s listed as probable for Game 5, which isn’t surprising, but his sprained knee clearly isn’t 100%. He’s been a step slow offensively, and he’s got limited lift on his usually terrifying step-back three ball, shooting just 26.5% from three in the series (and 17.4% in Games 3 and 4). That said, “struggling” Luka is still averaging 29-10-9 and is still incredibly dangerous inside 15 feet. The Clippers can’t let his health disarm them, but they’d also be fools to ignore it. The game plan should continue to be to attack him at the point-of-attack with playmakers who will keep him working hard on both ends.

Following Up Game 4: Game 4 was probably the most entertaining game of these 2024 playoffs. The shot-making was off the charts, the System was in full effect, and everyone had their turns shining. In the final minutes Kyrie Irving and Paul George each took the lead from one another with two of the most insanely difficult shots of the year. But despite coughing up the 31-point lead, the Clippers still have plenty of momentum after holding on to Game 4. And we know Paul George loves his Game 5’s, so we can expect a similar level of swagger. If he can be as decisive as he was in the first half of Game 4, if Harden can continue to pick his defenders wisely, and if the Clippers can stay the course with their mostly-effective Luka strategy, they have a good shot.

Disclaimer: 213Hoops may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this post.

Clippers vs. Mavs Game 5 Preview: Protecting Home Court
Erik Olsgaard

The LA Clippers beat the Mavericks 116-111 in Dallas, evening up the series at 2-2 and regaining home court advantage. Without Kawhi, Paul George and James Harden carried the Clippers to a tough win. Check out our summary below:

Summary

The Clippers came out with purpose to start the game: Their halftime lead was mostly thanks to a 39 point first quarter, which was led by Paul George’s 16 points on 6/9 shooting (3/5 from three). He would finish the half with 26 points on 9/14 shooting (6/9 from three). Harden also got off to a hot start, adding 18 points on 6/8 shooting (4/4) from three. But what was once a 31 point lead was down to just 17 at the half, as Kyrie Irving went on a run to end the second quarter.

The lead continued to wane throughout the third quarter. The Mavericks played with more intensity, especially on defense, which led to the Clippers scoring just 16 in the frame. The Dallas offense was, again, led by Kyrie, who had 10 points in the third quarter, whereas PG and Harden combined for just two.

The Clippers, who went into the fourth quarter up by just four, showed some level of resistance, pushing their lead to 11 by the eight minute mark. Interestingly, it was Powell and Plumlee who did the damage; in fact, Plumlee had a team high +12 plus-minus in his 14 minutes. Of course, that does not mean he was the Clippers’ best player, but I do think he added a different dynamic, which was needed as the Clippers’ offense was mostly stale in the second half.

But the Clippers could not avoid a dramatic ending. The Clippers’ 11 point lead was gone within three basketball minutes and the game was tied at 98 with five minutes remaining. Then, the game basically became a Harden versus Kyrie showdown: Harden scored 13 of the Clippers’ final 18 points with floater over floater (and a few free throws), while Kyrie had 11 of the Mavs’ final 13. Paul George was the only other Clipper to score in the final five minutes, making two free throws and probably hitting the shot of the night—a contested three, deep in the corner, as the shot clock expired to put the Clippers up two with two minutes left.

Much like Game 1, the Clippers came out hot and moved the ball well, only to give all the momentum back to Dallas as the game went on. But, like then, the Clippers were able to close it out. Maybe the mid-day games are not so bad after all? Either way, it’s 2-2, heading back to LA.

Notes

Vintage Harden: In our preview, we highlighted Harden’s play but today was another level: 33 points on 12/17 shooting, seven assists, a steal and a block in 40 minutes. Interestingly, he only shot one three in the second half (which he missed). Instead, as noted, he started getting down hill and punishing the Mavericks for playing without a rim protector.

The Paul George Experience: After scoring just seven points in Game 3, Paul George went nuclear to start this game. But, in the second half, he only took five shots—of which he hit two—despite playing the full 24 minutes. He was also 2/5 from the free throw line in the second half, which made the end of this game just that much more dramatic. He will get a pass because he was largely responsible for the Clippers’ lead and he hit a huge shot in the clutch, but the Clippers need to figure out how to counter the Mavs’ second half defensive adjustments and get PG catching the ball in scoring positions.

The Luka Experience: Luka has likewise had an interesting series so far. He is getting his points, but he is shooting just 37.7% from the field and 30% from three. Those splits are down from 48% and 38% during the regular season. The Clippers have played Luka so much that it is possible the Clippers have the coverages down enough to limit Luka. But it also looks like Luka is hurt. He was listed as Questionable before this game, and he was pulled at moments in the fourth, presumably for offense/defense substitutions (he did play 45 minutes, though). Moreover, Luka was deferring to Kyrie a lot down the stretch. This might be something to watch as the series goes on.

That does it for our Game 4 recap. The Clippers’ did well to even the series at 2-2, but the puzzle clearly has not been solved. They will likely have to win in a different way on Wednesday in LA.

Clippers vs. Mavericks Game 4 Recap: Evened Up at 2-2
Kenneth Armstrong

The Clippers are on the ropes: They are down 2-1 going into a Game 4 on the road. Of course, Clippers fans know better than most that being down 3-1 is not the end of the story, but Kawhi’s injury looms large over the Clippers’ chances of turning this series around.

Game Information

Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

When: 12:30 PM PT

How to Watch: ABC, Watch ESPN, AM 570

Tickets: For great deals on Clippers tickets, check out Barry’s Tickets! 

Projected Starting Lineups

Clippers: James Harden – Terance Mann – Paul George – Kawhi Leonard – Ivica Zubac

Mavericks: Kyrie Irving – Luka Doncic – Derrick Jones Jr. – PJ Washington – Daniel Gafford

Injuries

Clippers: Kawhi Leonard Questionable (Knee)

Mavericks: Luka Doncic Questionable (Knee), Tim Hardaway Jr. Out (Ankle), Olivier Maxence-Prosper Out (Ankle)

Notes

Kawhi’s Health: In our Game 3 preview, Rob wrote “[t]he first two games have shown the Clippers might not need superstar Kawhi to win this series, but they do need a version better than the guy who showed up in Game 2 and couldn’t make a jumper outside of 15 feet.” Well, after three games, I think that sentiment remains the same. But Rob then said, “[h]opefully Kawhi looks fresher and has more legs under him in this one.” That hope now seems more like a prayer. In Game Three, Kawhi clearly did not look right, and the Clippers’ limited him to just 24 minutes because of it. As noted above, Kawhi is listed as “Questionable” again, but it feels a little closer to “Doubtful” than his status before Friday’s game.

James Harden: Through three games, Harden is averaging 23.7 points, seven assists, and a steal on 47.7% shooting from the field and 44.8% from three. That is about as good as one could hope from the Clippers’ (in theory) third best player, especially given that his shot volume has gone up by about three attempts per game compared to the regular season. He probably could be doing more to get the Clippers’ offense more organized, but it is hard to have a flowing offense with Kawhi’s injury limitations. In fact, the Clippers’ offense looked much more organized in Game One, in which Harden was the Clipper’s clear leader on the floor (along with Ivica Zubac).

The Mavericks: The Mavericks have only scored over 100 points once this series, despite averaging over 115 points per game during the regular season. In Game Three, they shot the same percentage (45%) as the Clippers and were under 30% from the behind the three point line. So how did they blow out the Clippers in Game Three? Possessions: They had three more offensive rebounds and turned the ball over 11 fewer times than the Clippers. That translated to 16 more shots from the floor. The Mavericks do not feel like the better team—but they are playing better. They have had more focus, chemistry, and energy than the Clippers, which is in stark contrast to the Clippers’ clear frustration, which spilled out during multiple shoving matches on Friday night.

Bottom Line: Kawhi’s injury is the only factor that truly matters. If he is the Kawhi we have seen all year, and in previous playoff series against the Mavs, then the Clippers have more than enough to even this series up before heading back home to LA.

Disclaimer: 213Hoops may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this post.

Clippers vs. Mavs Game 4 Preview: Kawhi’s injury looms large
Kenneth Armstrong

The Clippers fell behind to the Mavs 2-1 in a miserable, embarrassing, uncomposed performance that was a disaster in a number of ways.

Summary

The game started off similarly to the first two games, with neither team able to get much of a flow on offense. Ivica Zubac remained the main man on offense, scoring six early points for the Clippers, but in a change Daniel Gafford matched him with six points of his own, all on dunks. Russ came in for Kawhi around the 6 minute mark with the Clippers up 14-12, and the bench began to trickle in. The game got very ugly with lots of fouls and questionable calls, and both team’s offenses stalled. A Harden buzzer-beating three got the Clippers up 23-18 after one, a nice finish to a hideous quarter.

The Clippers started the 2^nd quarter, oddly, with Harden-Russ-Norm-Amir-Mason. Even more oddly, the lineup actually grew the Clippers’ lead a bit, even with Mason dragging them down, largely because of Harden, who hit three stepback threes in a manner of minutes. The Clippers led 32-25 when Russ fouled Josh Green hard in transition, picking up a flagrant one. PG came back in for Russ but almost immediately picked up his 3^rd foul. Kawhi and Zu finally returned, but the momentum had shifted. Nobody on the Clippers outside of Harden could do anything on offense, while the Mavs’ offense, led by Luka, began to hum. The Mavs got dunk after dunk, with only occasional Clippers responses. Kawhi looked slow and injured, and was taken out at the 3 minute mark with the Mavs up 47-39. The wheels continued to come off, and the Mavs led 54-41 at halftime, but the lead felt like 30 instead of 13. Harden had 14 and 3, Zu had 10, and no other Clipper was even remotely a positive impact guy in totality outside of maybe Norm (8 points on shots but with some wide open misses).

The Clippers’ offense remained totally stuck in the mud to start the 3^rd, with the Mavs’ lead not growing significantly mostly because Kyrie and Luka couldn’t hit their shots. PG picked up his 4^th foul at the 8:57 mark but stayed in. It didn’t matter. While PG began to find his stride slightly as the quarter went along with the ball in his hands, this meant Harden didn’t touch the ball much, which is ultimately a bad thing for this Clippers’ offense. The Clippers finally got some slight momentum towards the end of the period, getting the lead to as little as seven, but Kyrie went off to close against a small Clippers unit, and the Mavs pushed their lead back to 11, 78-67. Still the Clippers won the quarter by 2 and could theoretically have pulled off a win….

Except the 4^th quarter happened. The Clippers started out with a Harden-Norm-Amir-PG-Zu lineup, all well enough and good. Except PG smoked a layup and then almost immediately committed his 5^th foul. Kawhi checked in for Amir, but the turnovers continued. The Mavs’ lead grew as Ty Lue cycled guys in and out to find a good unit and couldn’t. The offense, in particular, was a chore, with turnovers and clanked jumpers the order of the day. The Mavs outworked the Clippers, looking more athletic, energetic, and focused. Multiple Clippers jawed at PJ Washington, their nerves unraveling, and frustration grew. The whole saga culminated in Washington and Russ shoving each other and earning dual ejections at the 6:10 mark with the Mavs up 91-75. The Clippers kept fighting for another few minutes but failed to make headway, and the plug was mercifully pulled with three minutes to go.

Notes

Kawhi, Unhealthy: This game was maybe not the worst possible outcome for Kawhi Leonard but it was certainly in the bottom 10%. Kawhi played 25 minutes, took just seven shots, and never made much of an impact on either end, mostly just acting as a decoy on offense and guarding shooters on defense. He clearly wants to be out there for his teammates and is frustrated his knee isn’t feeling better, but it’s also clear he’s not close to 100% and actually looked much worse in this game than he did in Game 2. The human body is tricky, and it’s possible Kawhi feels better suddenly in the next few days, but it seems unlikely. If he’s at this level, or even at Game 2 level, the Clippers aren’t going to win the series, and would honestly probably be better off not playing Kawhi to add more clarity to their lineups and rotations.

PG, Invisible: For as bad as Kawhi was, he at least had the excuse of bad health. There is no such excuse for Paul George, who was equally as unimpactful as Kawhi (outside of maybe a brief 3-4 minute stretch in the 3^rd quarter). George was in foul trouble the entire game, messing up the Clippers’ rotations as James Harden had to play extra minutes to carry the bench. When he did play, he was indecisive on offense, settling for jumpers or getting flummoxed at the rim. His defense was fine, but he elected to mostly guard the Mavs’ role players, as he was in foul trouble. Seven points on 3-11 shooting in 30 minutes is an unacceptable line for a star player who wants a max or near-max contract, even with a handful of rebounds and assists. If PG doesn’t come out with a very good Game 4, this series will start to go down as an all-time black mark for a player of his caliber.

Russ, Out of Control: Look, I love Russ’s energy. I appreciate his heart and passion. I understand his frustration with heckling fans. But as a 16-year veteran, he has to be smarter than he was tonight. He has to stay under control and not have reckless flagrants and techs. He needs to attack the rim on offense instead of settling for jumpers that defenses are giving him. He has to be a steady hand running the offense when Harden needs a breather. His on-ball defense was great tonight, but everything else was a disaster, with 1 point on 0-7 shooting and 2 turnovers to 1 assist being a simply horrific offensive performance. Russ is not a star anymore, but the Clippers need him to be better than he was tonight.

Harden and Zu, Showing Up: James Harden and Ivica Zubac have been BY FAR the Clippers’ best two players in this series, a truly stunning development. While Harden had 5 turnovers to 5 assists and was a bit passive in the 2^nd half, he also played 44 minutes, getting just a single minute of rest before garbage time due to Kawhi’s health and PG’s foul trouble. His threes in the 2^nd quarter got the Clippers their largest lead, and he was the only guy able to get downhill consistently. And big Zu had 19 and 8 on 8-11 shooting and seems to be propping the Clippers’ defense up nearly single-handedly. Far from being played off the court, he has been vital to the Clippers on both ends with his paint scoring, rim protection, and rebounding. If only the rest of the team could give Harden and Zu some support, they might have a lead in this series.

Clippers vs Mavericks Game 3 Recap: Embarrassing 101-90 Loss in Dallas
Robert Flom