Game 27: Los Angeles Clippers (17-10) vs. Dallas Mavericks (16-11)| 120-111 loss

[SleepingHero]

[MFFL]

Clippers have won 8 in a row and the Mavs are missing a bunch of folks

I think this is a L (but I hope not)

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Clippers have won 8 in a row and the Mavs are missing a bunch of folks

I think this is a L (but I hope not)

I see. Down big so far.

[BoredAssistant]

That Mann flop deserves a fine or something.

[Chicagojk]

Clippers are just too good. Really impressive performance on both offense and defense. Feel lucky to be within 11 at half.

This is the type of game we need more from Grant. It is a tough ask going up against these wings but the defense has been bleh and he has 3 points o and 4 rebounds. Actually thought he had less than that. He will need to be big though. I don’t think we are going to get much from Powell or Morris in this game.

[Chicagojk]

Mavs came out to start the second going small. I think that is the right move with what we have. Probably not sustainable but at least they made it a game in the third.

[Jakeospikez]

Definitely better off going 5 out with someone like GWill at center than play Powell in pretty much any matchup it seems.

[Chicagojk]

We ask a ton of him but Luka needs to be better on defense. Slow getting back after a turnover and then some lazy defense on Leonard and the lead it back to double digits.

Powell was pretty rough out there. Nothing really stood out but not many positive plays tonight so far.

[Chicagojk]

Can’t wait to watch this team when Exum is in a support role and all the things he does will even be so much valuable. He just makes so many positive plays

[Chicagojk]

Hardaway may not be shooting great but how he competed in the third was huge. Didn’t back down and had several positive plays on defense. Grant Williams with some nice plays too.

Luka looks tired with all the attention he is getting. Can we get him 3 minutes rest?

[surfpuckmd]

Regardless of the outcome, this is an impressive performance from the available Mavs.  

The Clippers are looking like a contender and we're competing without half our rotation.  Really great effort from everybody.

[ThisIStheYear]

Huge loss. Clippers in the drivers seat vs Mavs. Luka played a poor game. Just didn’t have it tonight.

[Chicagojk]

Tough loss. Fought hard but clippers made the plays late.

Can’t keep playing Luka these minutes.

Can u imagine if Lively wasn’t ready? This season may have been over for the start. They appear to not have any other center who can play reliable minutes.

[SleepingHero]

What a frustrating loss.

What's even more incredible is that the Mavs said this game they'd rather play with no center than give any minutes to Powell or Holmes. Why resign Powell? Why not give Holmes any burn?

They played well for some stretch without the 5, but it's foolish to play without any size.

This game also highlighted how important the need is for a 2 way wing. A guy that can make a stop and also score. OG, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, these type of dudes are sorely needed. As soon as THJ decided to play defense the game momentum changed.

Mavs couldn't make enough plays to finish it. Grant was pretty shit the entire game. Even Luka yelled at him to shoot the fucking ball. What the hell happened to that dude? He needs to go to the bench ASAP if he can't get out of his way.

Right now Exum has shown he deserves a starting spot. Same with DJJ. Luka-Kyrie-DJJ-Exum-Lively would be my go-to starting lineup as soon as Kyrie and Lively returns. It's crazy how many wins Powell cost the team landing on Kyrie as I am 100% sure the Mavs would've won tonight had they had him.

[SwisherPrice]

Grant Williams is just not an answer. As an 8th man playing 20 minutes like in Boston, sure. But he's just too limited overall and fits in with the one-dimensional players that have been here. In fact, the main reason the Mavs have been able to look decent this season is because of the addition of 3 REAL 2-Way players with Lively, DJJ, and Exum.

[ThisIStheYear]

Sure. He definitely should be an 8th man here as well. His salary isn’t out of line for that role. Ultimately, a team’s performance is connected to and is the responsibility of its star. Luka will just need to overcome until the roster is workable.

[omahen]

Luka didn't have his shooting day. I thought game was over by halftime but Mavs really fought hard just to run out of gas in the fourth. Same thing as that 30 point comeback against OKC. Mavs basically played 7 guys and it seems like they don't have any centre that can play. Great game by DJJ.

[Nowitzki Way]

What's even more incredible is that the Mavs said this game they'd rather play with no center than give any minutes to Powell or Holmes. Why resign Powell? Why not give Holmes any burn?

They played well for some stretch without the 5, but it's foolish to play without any size.

This right here. There is no reason for Powell to be on this team. Many of us have been saying this for years.  

Now it looks like they feel Holmes is unplayable as well. We have to figure out this backup 5 position. We will continue to be out played in the paint. 

Lively looks like a star, but two things will cause us issues for the near future. And maybe his entire career.  Injuries and foul trouble. We'll always need to keep a decent back up 5. Preferably one that offers the skills he has in rim running, paint protection, and rebounding. Or a guy who can play some 4 with Lively on the court. 

I like a Daniel Gafford type for this role as a 5 only.  A few others out there that can play 4/5 minutes.

[Chicagojk]

I just want to say how great of a find Jones Jr has been. Both him and Exum were A plus signings. We will see if Jones can remain a respectable open three point shooter and Exum can stay healthy. But with both you can see the vision when this team is healthy. Also when this team adds another player via trade, both of their roles may not change much. Either as the fifth starter or bench player. We will see if they are able to keep Jones jr.

[Chicagojk]

Mavs are severely short handed right now, but I like how Kidd has found a few minutes for OMAX. It is only a few minutes. It may not mean much, but just gets him comfortable leading up to the game and giving him experience getting into the game. Instead of not playing for 3 weeks. We will see if that pays dividends later in the season or next year. I believe he is probably a better fit with Kyrie. You can see when he plays with Luka that he is a little bit running with his head cut off. That type of player bothers Luka. That is not a bad thing with OMAX either. I think most young players would struggle with it.