The Los Angeles Clippers fell behind 0-2 last night against the Dallas Mavericks after Luka Doncic and company shot the lights out by making 18/34 three pointers and shooting 58% from the field. The Mavs scored at will and when they did miss shots, it was rarely because of good defence by the Clippers but more-so that they just missed their shots. As for the Clippers, only 3 players showed up to play Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Reggie Jackson. Leonard had 41 points, George 28 and Jackson had 15. No one else on the team had over 10 points.
I think the Clippers have a chance to comeback and beat the Mavs but it is very slim. They need their supporting cast to step up. They cannot solely rely on Leonard and George to carry them. Marcus Morris who was 2nd in the league in three point percentage this season at 47.3% is only 2/11 in this series and has been a liability for the Clippers both offensively and defensively. If their role players can step up play defence and knockdown shots, they have a fighting chance to overcome this deficit.
The biggest problem however, is stopping Luka Doncic who has been absolutely carving them up. He had 39 points 7 assists and 7 rebounds. They have no answer for him whatsoever. Patrick Beverley and Morris have been a mismatch for him as Doncic is able to score at will on them. Most of the time when Leonard tries to guard him they end up switching because of the Pick and Roll. They will not be able to stop him this series but the key is to limit the damage that players like Tim Hardaway Jr. , Maxi Kleber, Kristaps Porzingis and others do to them. The role players on the Mavericks have continuously stepped up and hit shots when they are asked to. If the Clippers can’t prevent them from knocking down three’s, they have no chance of coming back in this series.
The Clippers are on the verge of breaking down and if they do they will be considered one of the most disappointing teams in NBA history. Leonard and George were supposed to challenge Anthony Davis and Lebron to see who the real Kings of LA are. However, it seems that for a second straight year the Clippers will fail to hold up their end of the bargain.
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