Clippers blitz Mavericks in first half, hold on for Game 1 victory 109-97

The longtime stars (Harden and Westbrook) made sure that the Clippers didn’t miss Leonard too much in the Game 1 win | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles received a dual boost in getting the win while allowing Kawhi Leonard to continue recuperating

Los Angeles dominated Dallas in a game 1 victory by running up a 29 point lead and giving the visiting Mavericks the 8th seed treatment this afternoon. The Clippers leveraged a huge advantage in paint points along with far more accurate shooting touch (18 for 36 from three) to sail out to a decided advantage that it maintained despite an offensive onslaught by Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic in the second half. James Harden started his scoring barrage this afternoon with four straight threes, while Dallas was felled by its poorest first half showing in several playoff runs.

A Clippers squad bereft of Kawhi Leonard’s services (knee) received leadership from veterans Harden (28 points and 8 assists) and Russell Westbrook (13 points and 4 assists) in the first half with steadiness supplied by Ivica Zubac (20 points and 14 rebounds) in dominating his Mavericks counteparts. Paul George (22 points and 6 rebounds) and Terence Mann (13 points and 9 rebounds) asserted themselves in the second half to cement the Los Angeles victory.

Irving (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Doncic (33 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists) put together a masterclass second half offensively but were unable to make a dent in the huge deficit. Outside of PJ Washington (11 points), there were no other Mavericks in double digits.

The intensity of the occasion was present from the onset. For the Mavericks, it didn’t show up in offensive results, however, as they started terribly from the field – with Doncic being the worst offender. Los Angeles received stalwart contributions from their non-stars, as Ivica Zubac scored often before James Harden took over playmaking later in the period.

Westbrook and Harden continued to take it to the disjointed Mavericks throughout the second period. There were several jarring scoreless spans from the field for Dallas throughout the frame and Los Angeles mounted a 15-2 closing run. By the time the damage was done by the Clippers, Dallas made only 9 of 40 attempts and 2 of 18 from three with their stars combining for 5-for-19.

Irving woke up from a gamelong slumber to score at-will for Dallas in the third quarter. Los Angeles matched his production basket for basket for many of the minutes. Bracketing a Gafford dunk and Tim Hardaway, Jr.’s three, Irving and Doncic made up over 85% of the Mavericks scoring. Irving’s wizardry, in particular, found him converting from countless spots on the floor. Despite surpassing their first half total (30) in this quarter alone (34), Los Angeles managed to maintain its sizable lead.

Observations

I never thought that this Doncic and Irving pairing would work as well as it has, but there’s definitely a pecking order – Doncic 1 / Irving 2 – when they were in crunch time.
The “LAC” chants are even more corny than the “OKC” ones.
In addressing Leonard’s availability for the series, ABC play-by-play Ryan Ruocco noted that there’s a ”cloud of uncertainty around his timetable” and all Pounders immediately nodded their heads.
With how many times the Wingstop commercial has been on, it got me thinking “What are the best wing places in and around San Antonio?”
Derrick Lively and Washington tended to have free reign from the dunker’s spot and rim-running against teams like the Spurs in the regular season, but they will not have as much freedom in this series. Dante Exum tried to float a lob up to Lively late in the opening frame, but was turned back. Zubac deterred another lob try from Doncic to Lively late in the first half.
When things don’t go well, Doncic is one of the more egregious ‘bad body language’ guys in the league.
From the tipoff, both teams had difficulty establishing a foothold on either end. Dallas’ Daniel Gafford was one of the first victims of the hurried pace with two quick fouls, and Zubac took advantage at and around the rim with eight points. The Mavericks were off from anywhere outside of the paint. Threes from Westbrook and Harden put Dallas in a hole. Harden was able to penetrate easily for paint points. His stepback made it 34-22 Clippers after one.
Los Angeles started the second with a 6-0 run highlighted by Westbrook’s tomahawk dunk. After a foul on Westbrook, he and Washington traded incredulous looks, and Washington tapped Westbrook’s head on a foul at the other end. Dallas’ first field goal in eons cut their deficit to 15. Gafford suffered an ankle setback after George levelled him in the paint. Harden’s back-to-back 3-point plays knocked the Mavericks down 22. Dallas had literally no response to the Clippers’ pressure and execution and went into the break down 30-56 after an emphatic slam and layup from Westbrook.
Entering the third quarter, Harden (outside) and Zubac (inside) picked up where they left off. A sign of the futility: Doncic deftly maneuvered around his defender and whipped a crosscourt pass… right to Zubac. Irving found his electrifying offense to add to the Dallas scoresheet, but Amir Coffey and George’s threes pushed the Clippers’ advantage to 29. Doncic was able to see some shots go in, and an Irving tip-in brought their team within 20. Dallas was unable to capitalize on the Clippers’ cold spell late in the stanza, and went to the fourth down 64-87.
Doncic took the reins over in the fourth to help Dallas draw within 15. George then became the featured Clipper in the halfcourt and scored aggressively. Zubac elbowed Maxi Kleber in the upper torso and was given a Flagrant 1. Doncic spearheaded an 11-2 run to make the outcome interesting, but a Harden three and free throws by George put the game out of reach.