Mavericks’ defense, poise key Game 3 triumph over Clippers

In step with the NBA’s theme for these 2024 playoffs, it’s honest to say a number of phrases concerning the Mavericks’ protection.

It’s a factor.

In a powerful present of toughness and willpower, the Mavericks unleashed their home-court model of playoff mode and took down the Los Angeles Clippers 101-90 on Friday evening in Sport 3 of the first-round playoff collection.

The Mavericks went up 2-1 within the best-of-seven match and are two victories from advancing to the convention semifinals.

Friday evening was not essentially a must-win. However groups that take a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven collection advance to the subsequent spherical 78.8 p.c of the time (356-96).

So the percentages have tilted strongly within the Mavericks’ favor, though they’re solely midway residence on this battle.

They owe it to their work on the defensive finish, the place the Clippers discovered nothing got here simple.

“It’s one thing we’ve taken delight in is making an attempt to be probably the greatest defensive groups within the league,” coach Jason Kidd stated. “In opposition to the Clippers who’ve weapons all over the place, we’re simply making an attempt to make it robust.

“We’re getting our arms on a few of the passes. Simply attempt to make it robust. We’re energetic on the defensive finish and we’re going to want that.”

The Mavericks broke free within the second quarter once they restricted the Clippers to 9 factors within the ultimate 9 minutes earlier than halftime. They went up by 91-70 early within the fourth quarter and regardless of Russell Westbrook’s greatest makes an attempt to agitate the Mavericks along with his aggressiveness, the Clippers had no solutions for the Mavericks’ protection down the stretch.

The Mavericks pressured 19 LA turnovers, 12 of them through steals, and blocked seven pictures. The Clippers shot 45.7 p.c however solely acquired 70 pictures (to 86 for the Mavericks).

“Our protection dictated offense,” stated Luka Dončić. “Folks didn’t play nice offensively, particularly me, however we received the sport, that’s all that issues.”

After which there was Westbrook, who was ejected halfway by the fourth quarter when he acquired in a dust-up with P.J. Washington, Maxi Kleber and Dončić.

“All people’s robust,” Kidd stated. “We’re all competing for every inch, to discover a approach to win. The collection goes to be extra psychological because it goes on. It’s very bodily, however the psychological facet of this collection, we’ve to be sharp and we’ve to grasp what’s happening. I believed the fellows did an awesome job of defending each other.

“We’ve talked about our optimistic vitality, defending each other and trusting one another. That’s simply one thing we’ve all the time talked is ensuring we’re not making a nasty mistake and placing our group in a nasty state of affairs. I believed the fellows did a great job and have completed a great job in defending each other.”

By the point Westbrook flung Luka in a circle and appeared to offer a shove to each Luka and Washington, the Mavericks had been comfortably in entrance and cruised to the end line. They are going to have the prospect to go up 3-1 Sunday afternoon at AAC (2:30 p.m. tip).

However the kerfuffle featured Luka turning the opposite cheek when Westbrook gave him a forearm shove to the chest. It was Washington that stepped in most assertively and Westbrook gave him a poke towards the chest, too.

“Superb man. I’ve nothing else to say,” Dončić stated of Washington’s dealing with of the state of affairs. “He’s a group participant. He helps all of us.

“It’s playoff basketball, there’s all the time going to be (bodily stuff). I’m used to that. I’m used to gamers coming to me. I simply attempt to keep calm and play basketball.”

And his teammates appreciated Dončić being unfazed by the issues Westbrook and others did to him.

“It reveals how he’s locked into successful,” heart Dereck Full of life II, who had 13 factors, stated. “He’s not locked into the nastiness of what can go on within the recreation. There’s going to be numerous instances when persons are going to attempt to get him out of his consolation zone, get in his head.

“All he must do is know his teammates acquired his again.”

And it additionally shines brightly on Washington, who has been a junkyard canine for the Mavericks since his arrival in February.

“It riles us up,” Full of life stated. “He’s just like the mouth of the group. He’s acquired our again, he’s speaking on protection. He’s one in all, if not, one of the best defensive participant we’ve.”

Dončić wasn’t dangerous both as he completed with 22 factors, 10 rebounds and 9 assists whereas Kyrie Irving had 21 factors after getting only a single bucket within the first half.

Quite a bit had been manufactured from Dončić’s protection in Sport 2 and, actually, for the final half of the common season.

And it’s been obvious that he has taken that finish of the ground critically, one thing that has occurred over time because the teaching employees challenged him way back to the 2022 playoffs.

And it clearly has caught.

“I feel all of us can see it,” Full of life stated of the general protection. “I feel all of us see after we’re on the defensive aspect there’s a unique look in everyone’s eye. It’s being the aggressor, though they’ve the ball.

“It’s going to come back again to us being disciplined, locked into every play. And that’s what the playoffs are, possession-by-possession.”

As Clippers’ coach Tyronn Lue stated earlier than Friday’s recreation: “Oh, he’s an awesome defender. He takes the problem. I feel we solely scored two instances out of 17 (one-on-one defensive conditions for Luka). So he’s doing a great job. And when your greatest participant takes that problem, you’re a complete completely different group.”

The Mavericks definitely had been a unique group within the second quarter than they had been within the first on Friday. That they had trailed a lot of the manner and had been down 32-25 early within the second quarter.

Dončić had already made a visit to the bowels of the world when he got here up limping gingerly within the first quarter. However he returned simply earlier than the tip of the interval. He stated afterward his knee can be checked out on Saturday, however that he expects no issues for Sunday’s Sport 4.

It was his step-back three-pointer with 8:52 left within the half ignited the Mavericks on a 29-9 surge to shut out the primary half.

X: @ESefko