05-31-2021, 05:57 PM
(05-31-2021, 03:05 PM)SwisherPrice Wrote: Mavs didn't "choke" in game 3. They got off to a hot start but that early in the game doesn't really matter...NBA teams make runs, especially good teams. It's just a bad matchup. The Clippers have the talent and experience for adjustments. Same thing last year after Luka tied it at 2-2 and then the Clips just took over to win in 6 games.
The Mavs are outmatched and RC knows it - that's why he had to resort to giving Boban a try. I expect him to just be throwing anything that he hopes will stick to the wall but it's not looking good.
The damage was done long before this series even started. This is how the Mavs play. They rely on Luka having some of the heaviest usage in the league and then live/die with the others making threes. In a 7 game series (assuming it goes that far), a team can hope to have 2-3 GREAT shooting games and then you have to scrap to survive the rest of the games, whether it's having a horrible shooting game or just average. The Mavs already used up their three great shooting games so it's unlikely they will make 17+ threes again. Now they have to figure out how to win if the shots don't fall and that's a big problem for a team that plays this style.
Mavs didn't choke - that's right. But they weren't protecting their 19 pts lead in game 3 either. When you are leading by 19 pts and your opponent is nervous, the fans are loud as hell, then your task is simple: keep the opponent out of the paint - no layups, no rhythm, no confidence. Instead the Mavs began to give the Clippers and especiially PG a clean lane to the rim or close shots around the basket. After the first Clipper basket after the 19 pts lead I would have taken a timeout as a coach. Don't let them get into their rhythm. Also: NO layups whatsoever. Foul PG and anyone who drives to the basket! This way the Mavs could have protected their lead better and hindered the Clips to gain confidence and rhythm. Again, talking about game 3 and not game 4, which was a lost cause due to the Mavs poor shooting, defense and effort. But the poor defense started exactly after the 19 pts lead in game 3...