PLAYOFF GAME 1 (1st Rnd): DAL (0-1) @ LAC (1-0) | 110-118 loss

[Kammrath]

[mtrot]

Well, forgive me for jumping the gun a bit here, but considering the odds against the Mavs in this series -- must win game!

[Scott41theMavs]

The wildcard here has to be if Luka takes the opportunity to level up into further legend status. If he's as good as we hope he is, well, there's got to be a chance. Magic won the championship as a rookie and Bird won his second year (much more impressively, as he had rookie McHale and Parrish, not KAJ). If the Mavs win it all this year on Luka's back, we shouldn't be that surprised after what we saw this year - just damn happy.

[KillerLeft]

The wildcard here has to be if Luka takes the opportunity to level up into further legend status. If he's as good as we hope he is, well, there's got to be a chance. Magic won the championship as a rookie and Bird won his second year (much more impressively, as he had rookie McHale and Parrish, not KAJ). If the Mavs win it all this year on Luka's back, we shouldn't be that surprised after what we saw this year - just damn happy.

Those accomplishments are most impressive, no doubt, but tbh I feel like the league is better now. There are very few teams who suck, especially in the west. Look at Phoenix, Portland, etc. You can make the case that fundamentals are lacking relative to old school basketball, but I won't buy it, and the level of talent in the league has skyrocketed. The NBA has come so far since Magic and Bird (and thanks to them, really). Jordan was better than either of them, and it took him 7 years to win a ring. Their generations were so close that there was significant overlap. Since then? Lots of growth, imo.

I don't mean this to take anything away from Luka, who I think has a shot to be a top 5 player of all time, but I'll be shocked if he wins a championship on his rookie contract. Pleasantly, orgasmically shocked - but shocked.

[Kammrath]

Hey KillerLeft, you sent me a message but I cannot respond because your private messages are turned off but here is the answer:

So at the bottom right there is a choice between light theme and dark mobile theme. I only use light theme and find that the best.

If you find "User CP" and click on that you will find a "Your Profile" list on the left and one of those is "Change Profile Picture."

[Hypermav]

https://twitter.com/CallieCaplan/status/...27200?s=20

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https://twitter.com/CallieCaplan/status/...13664?s=20

[Jannemann2]

“Yes, it is the playoffs, but I have been in the playoffs before, just in Europe,” Doncic reminded. “It is not the same level, but it is the same emotions. I’m excited, for sure.”  - Luka Doncic

(via Brad Townsend/Dallas Morning News)

[MrGoat]

To quote Dirk: "IT'S GAME DAY"

Luka's the one guy I'm not worried about here. But as we've already seen in the bubble, Luka can have crazy games and we still lose. The other guys need to step it up to at least try to make this series interesting. To make it interesting I want to see KP attacking the Clippers' lack of rim protection and I want to see something resembling defense

[omahen]

Luka's the one guy I'm not worried about here.

A lot about him will depend on how his shot goes in. He can't drive as much against Clippers so we can expect more three pointers

[Hypermav]

[b]Game 1: Dallas Mavericks vs. LA Clippers, 9:00 ET, ESPN[/b]

• Dallas (115.9) and LA (113.3) ranked 1st and 2nd, respectively, in offensive efficiency this season. Dallas’ mark was the highest since 1996-97 and the Clippers’ was 11th.
  
  
• During the seeding games, Luka Doncic ranked sixth in scoring (30.0 PPG), eighth in rebounding (10.1 RPG) and second in assists (9.7 APG), just falling shy of averaging a 30-point triple-double during the restart.
  
  
• The Mavericks and Clippers were the only two teams to have teammates finish in the top 10 in scoring during the seeding games: Dallas’ Kristaps Porzingis (30.5, T-4th) and Luka Doncic (30.0, 6th) and LA’s Kawhi Leonard (28.8, 7th) and Paul George (10th). This will be the playoff debut for both Doncic and Porzingis, while the LA duo has played a combined 187 career playoff games.
  
  
• Dallas led all teams with an average of 29.9 free throws attempted during the seeding games with Luka Doncic (10.1 FTA) and Kristaps Porzingis (9.2) ranking second and sixth, respectively, on an individual basis. Prior to the hiatus, it was LA that led the league with 26.2 FTA per game, while Dallas ranked 15th at 23.1.
  
  
• As John Schuhmann notes, the Clippers were 12.7 points per 100 possessions better with Kawhi Leonard on the floor (plus-12.2) than they were with him off the floor (minus-0.5) this season. In the season series against Dallas, the Clippers outscored the Mavs by 38 points in 103 minutes with Leonard on the floor, while Dallas was a plus-5 in 41 minutes with Leonard off the floor.
  

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Doubt the Mavs get that many calls per game even if LA is slapping at everything.

[JamesConway]

Time to open one

[mtrot]

The key to this game will be rebounding.  The Mavs must clear the defensive boards and not let Harrell and others kick the ball back out to KL and PG, especially PG, for open three point looks.  The Clips must not get many second chance opportunities.

[Mapka]

[b]Game 1: Dallas Mavericks vs. LA Clippers, 9:00 ET, ESPN[/b]

• Dallas (115.9) and LA (113.3) ranked 1st and 2nd, respectively, in offensive efficiency this season. Dallas’ mark was the highest since 1996-97 and the Clippers’ was 11th.
  
  
• During the seeding games, Luka Doncic ranked sixth in scoring (30.0 PPG), eighth in rebounding (10.1 RPG) and second in assists (9.7 APG), just falling shy of averaging a 30-point triple-double during the restart.
  
  
• The Mavericks and Clippers were the only two teams to have teammates finish in the top 10 in scoring during the seeding games: Dallas’ Kristaps Porzingis (30.5, T-4th) and Luka Doncic (30.0, 6th) and LA’s Kawhi Leonard (28.8, 7th) and Paul George (10th). This will be the playoff debut for both Doncic and Porzingis, while the LA duo has played a combined 187 career playoff games.
  
  
• Dallas led all teams with an average of 29.9 free throws attempted during the seeding games with Luka Doncic (10.1 FTA) and Kristaps Porzingis (9.2) ranking second and sixth, respectively, on an individual basis. Prior to the hiatus, it was LA that led the league with 26.2 FTA per game, while Dallas ranked 15th at 23.1.
  
  
• As John Schuhmann notes, the Clippers were 12.7 points per 100 possessions better with Kawhi Leonard on the floor (plus-12.2) than they were with him off the floor (minus-0.5) this season. In the season series against Dallas, the Clippers outscored the Mavs by 38 points in 103 minutes with Leonard on the floor, while Dallas was a plus-5 in 41 minutes with Leonard off the floor.
  

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Doubt the Mavs get that many calls per game even if LA is slapping at everything.

That's fine as long as LAC don't  get the bogus call either

[ClutchDirk]

https://twitter.com/MFollowill/status/12...2707535874

[Kammrath]

[Reunion Mav Old]

It is good we are playing perhaps the best and most talented team in the league. It will provide good feedback about just how far we need to go. It will give this team an accurate target for improvement in the NBA. This will be very interesting. Playoff games so far today kind of prove bubble playoff games are played somewhat differently and not necessarily as well....though the shooting has been pretty incredible. 

I have high hopes because we have some truly talented stars. I have patience because we all know the learning process will have to happen painfully. I truly think we need to win at least once and twice would be way better. I can only dream of a series win.

[Hypermav]

Why not

[StepBackJay]

We finally get to see a Rick playoff rotation which will be fun. You never know what he's going to do. We haven't really seen a rotation that means anything since the Monta Ellis era in years where Parsons wasn't getting injured. The two years Parsons was out the series was basically over before it started. The Mavs epic SAS first round series was the last one we saw which actually was competitive.

[ClutchDirk]

https://twitter.com/NotoriousOHM/status/...5720377345

[StepBackJay]

I feel like there's no way Justin Jackson doesn't get minutes since we are short-handed but I wish we found a way to squeeze him out of the rotation. Will Boban continue to get minutes? Will Wright? I imagine the rotations will be pretty close to what we have already seen with the exception of Cleveland, Reaves types getting zero minutes.