During a series of 3-point shots by James Harden, Luka Doncic signaled to his coaches. The Mavericks’ star player and the NBA’s top scorer wanted to defend Harden, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.
In Dallas, the focus has suddenly shifted to defense.
Doncic scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and made nine assists. The Mavericks, who prioritize defense, secured a tough 101-90 win against the Clippers on Friday night, giving them a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
The Mavericks relied on their strong defense, which helped them win Game 2 in Los Angeles and secure home-court advantage.
This victory in Dallas comes three years after they lost all three first-round games at home to the Clippers in a seven-game series. The next game, Game 4, will be on Sunday in Dallas.
Rookie center Dereck Lively II, who scored all 13 of his points in the first half, noticed a change in the team’s demeanor when they focused on defense. They were aggressive, even when the Clippers had possession of the ball.
Daniel Gafford, Lively’s partner in dunking and protecting the rim, made a strong defensive play early in the fourth quarter, blocking a dunk attempt by Paul George. This play came as Dallas was taking control of the game, which featured five technical fouls, a flagrant foul, and two ejections.
Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but only managed seven points after halftime. George and Kawhi Leonard, the other star players, didn’t have much impact on the game.
Norman Powell also scored 21 points, and Ivica Zubac contributed 19 points and eight rebounds. However, the Clippers committed 19 turnovers, while the Mavericks blocked seven shots, with Gafford blocking three and Lively blocking two.
George faced foul trouble and finished with seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and five fouls.
Leonard, in his second game back after missing nine games due to a knee injury, didn’t seem comfortable and scored nine points with nine rebounds.
Kyrie Irving got into foul trouble early in the second half but scored 19 of his 21 points in the final 13 minutes of the game, including eight points in the last 1:18 of the third quarter. His performance helped the Mavericks extend their lead to 18 points after it had been cut to six.
The game became heated midway through the fourth quarter when Russell Westbrook fouled Doncic and then aggressively pushed him. Westbrook received a technical foul for the contact and for shoving P.J. Washington, who had confronted him.
Washington also received a technical during the altercation, and had already received one earlier for a scuffle with Terance Mann.
Westbrook, who had received a flagrant 1 foul in the first half for excessive contact while fouling Josh Green, and Washington were both ejected from the game.
Westbrook had a tough game, missing all seven shots and scoring only one point. He faced criticism from the crowd when he collided with Doncic after Zubac was fouled for a shot attempt by Doncic. The officials reviewed the play but determined that Westbrook’s contact was unintentional.
Clippers coach Tyronn Lue mentioned the need for controlled aggression. He appreciated the physicality and tough plays but emphasized the importance of avoiding technical fouls and ejections.
Doncic, who briefly left the court after injuring his right knee in the first quarter, struggled with his shooting, making only 7 of 25 field goals and 3 of 14 from 3-point range.
Dallas managed to limit George and Westbrook to just one 3-pointer out of ten attempts combined, and Leonard didn’t even try a 3-pointer in his 25 minutes of play.
Lue acknowledged that Leonard is still finding his rhythm after his return from injury. They’re taking a cautious approach to ensure his recovery goes smoothly.
Harden had a strong first half, scoring 12 of his 14 points with four 3-pointers in three minutes. However, he struggled to score in the second half, with his only basket coming in the final minute of the third quarter.
The Clippers had 19 turnovers and appeared to lose their composure at times.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd emphasized the mental aspect of the series, noting the importance of resilience and protecting each other on the court.
