In the first exciting display of the postseason, the Los Angeles Clippers taught the Dallas Mavericks a lesson, powered by the star-of-the-moment Clippers Dynamic Duo, James Harden and Ivica Zubac. When Harden engaged in his first season with the Clippers during the barrage, he went 28 points, and Zubac, in his playoff career, made everything—15 rebounds and 20 points—highlighting the two-man chemistry off the court.
Clippers Dynamic Duo Steals Wines in The Playoff Opener against the Mavericks
Harden, who was Zubac’s coach, praised the big man saying it was a perfect game from a big man in the paint. The Clippers closed the game on a strong note, winning 109-97 against the Grizzlies. The home team also made its Clinton Station point after the defeat.
The showdown with Miami’s pool of Hall of Famer pummeled Cavaliers’ star Kyrie Irving. He commented, “We’re up against basketball immortals,” referring to the legendary players. He stressed proper teamwork and concentration, which will give hope and take them on to victory despite being the underdogs. Clippers’ head coach, Tyronn Lue, went with a play that was tailored for Zubac and it worked out well for the team. The team came out of the gate playing well and you could tell from the onset that they were in command.
With Zubac, now in his season, ready to leave a mark, he repeated, “I’ll be relentless when attacking the basket and anyone who will defend me the hardest. I will be the one who consistently gives the best of me to help this team.” Harden’s approach was a bit elegant, with 6 out of 11 3-pointers and eight assists, while Paul George finished The Clippers had the upper hand over the Mavs in the long-distance shooting category, as they hit 18/33 of their attempts while the Mavericks settled with 10/31.
The most apparent thing about the Clippers was the fact that Kawhi Leonard has been missing due to knee inflammation since March 31st, reflecting the depth and resilience of the Clippers. Apart from the contributions of Russell Westbrook and Norman Powell from the bench, the team displayed its playoff acumen. Scoring for them too became essential to the team’s victory.
Going on, George mentions his excitement for Leonard’s comeback and even adds, “We look forward to Kawhi’s arrival because of our playoff experience, fortified by the presence of established vets James, me, Russ, and Norm, who have been through numerous playoffs.”.
After the downing of the Maverick, this was the third staging of a playoff series between two teams holding a record of twos in five years, with the Clippers having won earlier editions. Toronto knew very well that they would need that mentality that would get everyone on the bench ready to play, so their collective “next man up” was the phrase that is often used by their fans when they know that the next player in line should perform well.
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