The Clippers Held Off Luka Doncic And The Mavs For A Game 1 Win

The first day of the 2020 NBA Playoffs included real drama, from Donovan Mitchell’s majestic 57-point performance to a hotly contested game between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. In the nightcap, there were plenty of fireworks but, by the final buzzer, the L.A. Clippers nabbed a 1-0 lead over the Dallas Mavericks with a 118-110 victory.

Though the phrase is wildly overused, the first quarter on Monday evening truly embodied the notion that the NBA is a “game of runs.” The Clippers scored the first ten points of the night, taking advantage of four turnovers in the first six possessions from the Mavericks.

From there, the Clippers didn’t slow down, stretching their edge to 18-2. L.A. converted seven of their first nine shots, including four straight three-pointers, and the Clippers looked utterly spectacular on both ends.

Though Dallas clearly wavered a bit in the early going, the Mavericks responded in kind, using a 20-4 run to tie the game at 22-22.

A large portion of that damage came with Luka Doncic on the sideline, as the second-year star had his ankle re-taped in the locker room, and he played markedly better upon his return after a trio of early giveaways. In addition, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, not known for his long-range marksmanship, knocked down a pair of three-pointers and, against all odds, Dallas took a four-point lead after 12 minutes.

In addition to the surprise of the way the game flipped, the Mavericks also made a bit of history with the way they erased a 15-point deficit in the blink of an eye.

The Mavericks kept rolling as the second quarter started, extending their unexpected lead to 50-36 after a 12-2 spurt.

When Dallas (finally) slowed, the Clippers threw a counterpunch, scoring nine straight points and, eventually, coming back to tie the game. At the half, the Mavericks led by three points, thanks in part to 12-of-21 from three-point range. The 12 three-pointers set a new franchise record for most threes in one half of a playoff game, and Dallas also benefited from a 19-point, six-assist, five-rebound half from Doncic.

On the Clippers side, it was Kawhi Leonard and Paul George doing the damage, combining for 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting, and they were flanked by strong play from Marcus Morris. Overall, it was an offensively charged half, with both teams scoring more than 1.2 points per possession, and that provided high-end entertainment throughout the first 24 minutes.

The early portion of the third quarter was marked by the controversial ejection of Kristaps Porzingis, when the Mavericks big man picked up a second technical foul at the 9:10 mark. Without him available, Dallas saw their lead evaporate in short order, with the Clippers reclaiming control after a 16-7 start in the second half.

After the high-powered first half, the third quarter essentially came to a screeching halt, with the two teams combining to shoot 13-of-43 from the floor. Dallas struggled more, however, in scoring just 13 points, and the Clippers took a five-point lead to the closing period.

With Porzingis out of action and Doncic on the bench, the Mavericks closed the gap to open the fourth quarter, tying the game at 89-89 with more than nine minutes remaining. The margin would be narrow for several minutes as the two teams traded blows and, while the shotmaking never returned to the levels of the first half, the competitiveness remained on both sides.

Patrick Beverley, who struggled at times in his first game action in two weeks, buried a corner three-pointer to give the Clippers a six-point edge with fewer than three minutes remaining. While the Mavericks did answer with a quick bucket, L.A. weathered a pair of missed layups and, moments later, Morris converted another three-pointer that proved to be something of a dagger. That pushed the Clippers ahead by seven and, with a dagger from George a few seconds later, L.A. put the game away in style.

For the Mavericks, Doncic was outstanding, finishing with 42 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. He did battle turnover issues, committing 11 giveaways on the night, but the 20-year-old certainly stepped up after a shaky start to the evening, and he set a new record for the most points in a playoff debut in NBA history.

The Clippers were also led by familiar faces, with Leonard (29 points, 12 rebounds, six assists) and George (27 points) playing at a high level. Morris (19 points, six rebounds, four steals) was also crucial and, while L.A. didn’t perform at optimal capacity after the opening minutes, it was enough to secure a win and a significant advantage in the series.

The two teams will face off again on Wednesday in prime time, with the Mavericks aiming to even the series at 9:00 pm ET.