GAME 1 Playoffs 2024: Dallas Mavericks (0-0) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (0-0)

[SleepingHero]

Ignoring the horrible foul calls he has been the best defender today. Going small might be the only solution if Gafford and Lively aren't able to defend the Harden pick/roll and Zubac in the paint.

He's been checked out this game if he isn't in the primary action. Sure he's been a great individual defender, but PJ has been the best defender overall. 

One example is right out of the Clips timeout, after an offensive rebound Maxi just gives up and concedes a wide open PG 3 cause he ran into open space instead of sticking with his man. Offensively he's been unplayable. Can't make a wide open set 3. Can't catch a pass. Throwing away easy hand offs. 


He hasn't been our worst guy by far today. That goes to Gafford, Timmy, and DJJ.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Kyrie is at least trying to make amends from a bad 1st half. Luka seems disinterested to me.

[Mavs2021]

PJ played PG to a virtual standstill. Kawhi is not playing. Yet we still get blown the f*** out by Harden, Westbrook and Zubac. Luka has been the worst player on the floor. Horrible body language, defense, leadership. Gafford has no rebounds.

[SleepingHero]

This has been by far the worst career playoff game for Luka. The choices he's making is inane.

[ThisIStheYear]

Diagnosis:

1). Kurie is great, but
2). Lue mad a great adjustment. Neither KL or PG could stop Luka previously, so he goes with Mann today, straight up, no help, and he defensively dominates Luka. Didn’t see that coming.
3). Clippers have won the first strategic battle. Dlive and Gafford are worthless against the Clippers.
4). Mavs theee point defense has been bad.

Luka should turn it around. I mean if he can’t dominate Mann one on one, Mavs aren’t winning and Luka isn’t a great player. Hopefully the Clippers cool off. But the Mavs are going to need to find a way around the DLive and Gafford minutes.

[dirkfansince1998]

Kidd isn't the kind of coach that is going to try out new stuff in the first game of a series but now is the perfect opportunity to try something crazy. That's how RC stole a game from the Clippers with Boban in the starting five.

[Mavs2021]

Man fuck Luka. Once again leaves Westbrook wide open.

[SleepingHero]

If I'm Kidd I'm sitting Luka right now and playing Kyrie

[SleepingHero]

If the Mavs can hit two threes and get 2 stops this game can get interesting.

[dirkfansince1998]

He's been checked out this game if he isn't in the primary action. Sure he's been a great individual defender, but PJ has been the best defender overall. 

One example is right out of the Clips timeout, after an offensive rebound Maxi just gives up and concedes a wide open PG 3 cause he ran into open space instead of sticking with his man. Offensively he's been unplayable. Can't make a wide open set 3. Can't catch a pass. Throwing away easy hand offs. 


He hasn't been our worst guy by far today. That goes to Gafford, Timmy, and DJJ.

Couldn't disagree more. Lively has been the worst big. Followed by Gafford. With Kleber the Mavs can at least contain the initial pick and roll. Sadly Kidd is too stubborn to give PJ/Kleber extended minutes this early in the series.

[ThisIStheYear]

Time out Clipps. They’ll probably come back with their Luka stopper now.

[Mavs2021]

I also don´t get what they were doing overall in the 2nd half. They should have set double screens and let Luka and Kyrie just bomb awy from three from the start of the 3rd quarter. Only way back into this match was Luka and Kyrie getting insanely hot from three.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

They cut it to 15. So you're saying there's a chance?

[SleepingHero]

Couldn't disagree more. Lively has been the worst big. Followed by Gafford. With Kleber the Mavs can at least contain the initial pick and roll. Sadly Kidd is too stubborn to give PJ/Kleber extended minutes this early in the series.

Disagree regarding Lively. He's been the lone big able to contain Zubac and provide rim pressure. I agree that Maxi has been the only big that's been able to contain the primary action. It's off ball where he's been horrible. No boxing out. Ball watching. Slow rotations. Add in a complete nothingburger on the offensive end and it adds up to a really bad game.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Kleber has no confidence in his shot. He just threw it up there.

[SleepingHero]

Playing hardaway in this stretch is certainly a choice

[ThisIStheYear]

Nice effort on that loose ball THj.

[SwisherPrice]

Had some momentum and then Kidd went with the dreaded Luka/Kyrie/THJ lineup and the Clippers scored easily

[SleepingHero]

That's all she wrote

[SleepingHero]

The Clippers are such a dirty team. The Mavs refuse to give it back.