Mavericks’ defense, poise key Game 3 triumph over Clippers

In line with the NBA’s theme for these 2024 playoffs, it’s truthful to say just a few phrases concerning the Mavericks’ protection.

It’s a factor.

In a robust 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 night time in Recreation 3 of the first-round playoff sequence.

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

Friday night time was not essentially a must-win. However groups that take a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven sequence advance to the following 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 house 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 pleasure in is making an attempt to be the most effective defensive groups within the league,” coach Jason Kidd stated. “In opposition to the Clippers who’ve weapons in every single 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 wish that.”

The Mavericks broke free within the second quarter after they restricted the Clippers to 9 factors within the remaining 9 minutes earlier than halftime. They went up by 91-70 early within the fourth quarter and regardless of Russell Westbrook’s finest 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 photographs. The Clippers shot 45.7 p.c however solely obtained 70 photographs (to 86 for the Mavericks).

“Our protection dictated offense,” stated Luka Dončić. “Individuals 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 via the fourth quarter when he obtained 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 strategy to win. The sequence goes to be extra psychological because it goes on. It’s very bodily, however the psychological facet of this sequence, now we have to be sharp and now we have to grasp what’s happening. I believed the fellows did an ideal 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 at all times talked is ensuring we’re not making a nasty mistake and placing our workforce in a nasty state of affairs. I believed the fellows did an excellent job and have completed an excellent 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 have been comfortably in entrance and cruised to the end line. They’ll 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 workforce participant. He helps all of us.

“It’s playoff basketball, there’s at all times 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 profitable,” middle Dereck Vigorous 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 loads of occasions when individuals are going to attempt to get him out of his consolation zone, get in his head.

“All he must do is know his teammates obtained 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,” Vigorous stated. “He’s just like the mouth of the workforce. He’s obtained our again, he’s speaking on protection. He’s certainly one of, if not, the perfect defensive participant now we have.”

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.

Rather a lot had been manufactured from Dončić’s protection in Recreation 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 severely, one thing that has occurred over time because the teaching workers challenged him way back to the 2022 playoffs.

And it clearly has caught.

“I feel all of us can see it,” Vigorous stated of the general protection. “I feel all of us see after we’re on the defensive aspect there’s a special look in all people’s eye. It’s being the aggressor, although 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 ideal defender. He takes the problem. I feel we solely scored two occasions out of 17 (one-on-one defensive conditions for Luka). So he’s doing an excellent job. And when your finest participant takes that problem, you’re an entire completely different workforce.”

The Mavericks definitely have been a special workforce within the second quarter than they have been within the first on Friday. They’d trailed many of the means and have 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 top of the interval. He stated afterward his knee will likely be checked out on Saturday, however that he expects no issues for Sunday’s Recreation 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