Three Takeaways From The Clippers Closing Out The Mavs In Game 6

After evening the series at 2-2 in a thrilling overtime win in Game 4, the Dallas Mavericks simply haven’t had enough for the Clippers in the previous two games and saw their postseason run end in a 111-97 L.A. win on Sunday afternoon.

The Clippers defense found its rhythm late in this series, showing the dominance they’re capable of on that end, and seeing Paul George come to life on the offensive end proved to be too much for the Mavericks. In Game 6, it was Kawhi Leonard who once again led the way with 33 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists, with George chipping in 15 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists as the two stars seem to be finding their comfort level together at the right time.

Dallas struggled mightily shooting the ball from deep in Game 6, hitting just 29.7 percent from downtown, and for a team dependent on playing at a historic level on offense to win games, that just made things untenable in what became a closeout game for the Clippers. Luka Doncic did his best, with 38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, but it just wasn’t enough to overcome a rough shooting night and Kawhi Leonard’s constant onslaught.

L.A. now moves on to the second round, awaiting either Denver or Utah, with the Jazz potentially being able to close things out later Sunday night and set up a Tuesday meeting with the Clippers. Dallas enters an offseason with plenty of optimism thanks to the presence of Doncic, but also areas to improve if they are to jump into contender status in the West.

Here are our three takeaways from Game 6 and this first round series as a whole.

Kawhi Leonard is still the Big Boss of the playoffs

There’s a reason the Clippers entered the Bubble as one of the three co-favorites to win the title, but they’re still trying to round into form as a complete team. Paul George emerging from his funk and opening up about the “dark place” he was in is, obviously, critical to their chances, and his play has been encouraging in the last two games. However, the north star for the Clippers is Kawhi Leonard who remains an absolute monster, capable of putting the team on his back for stretches on offense and locking down the opponent’s best player when needed on the other end.

He proved last year what his presence means for a team’s championship aspirations and even as the Clippers bench looks to find some semblance of the rhythm they had in the regular season, Leonard managed to all-but will this L.A. team to a series win. There isn’t a better tough shot maker in the NBA than Leonard, who regularly rises up over hard contests to calmly flick that flat jumper straight into the net or absorbs contact in the lane to push a floater over outstretched arms of opposing centers for demoralizing baskets.

Leonard became the first player in 20 years to have 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and five steals in a playoff game on Sunday, finishing with 33/13/7/5 to turn out the lights on Dallas. Paul George chipped in 15 points, Ivica Zubac matched that with 15 of his own, but this was just a masterpiece from Leonard, who watched the Mavs chip away at a big Clippers lead to cut it to six, before putting his foot down and ending it down the stretch in the fourth — with help from some clutch Reggie Jackson threes.

As the Clippers go forward they’ll need their bench unit — chiefly Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell — to regain their rhythm, as well as getting Patrick Beverley back on the court. But what puts them in that class with the Bucks and Lakers is Kawhi, one of the few stars in this league capable of legitimately willing a team to a win in a playoff game against an opponent that is otherwise playing better. Just look at his production in this series.

Luka Doncic will be a playoff fixture for a long time, but Dallas has roster work to do

If there were any doubt Doncic was a bonafide superstar, he put that to rest in this series. His stepback game-winner in Game 4 will be legendary and live on his highlight reel forever. He put up astronomical numbers despite the absence of Kristaps Porzingis for the final four games of the series and an ankle sprain that knocked him out of Game 3. In Game 6, Doncic finished with 38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, at times dragging the Mavs back into the game despite otherwise putrid shooting from deep.

Doncic is going to be in the mix for MVPs for years to come, that much is clear, and we know he’s not going to fold under the lights of the postseason, even against the most robust of opponents. However, what remains to be seen is if Dallas can build a team around him that can compete for championships. Kristaps Porzingis’ health is, first and foremost, the crucial piece to the puzzle, because his presence as the other max player next to Doncic makes him necessary for them to have a chance. Beyond that major question mark, Dallas has to figure out the defensive end of the floor. Maxi Kleber did yeoman’s work in this series, but aside from him there was rarely another plus defender on the floor. Their imbalance between offense and defense proved to get ugly in Game 6 when their shooters failed to knock down shots and simply couldn’t get stops on defense when they needed them, as Kawhi just mowed them down and it took one good pass to create an open three.

Dallas has found itself with a superstar, but now the hard part begins for this front office. They have to decide how to tinker with this roster to find more balance and be at least a capable defensive team, while continuing to surround Doncic with shooters to find with his incredible vision. It’s the hardest thing to do in the NBA, take the leap from good team to great team, even when you have a great player. That’s the task going forward for Dallas that few successfully pull off.

The Clippers bench has to find their form

The one aspect of the Clippers that most would point to as the thing that can separate them from the Lakers is their depth, but with the absences of Williams and Harrell earlier in the Bubble and the injury that kept Beverley out of action for much of this series, their bench unit has not been an advantage just yet. Williams was spectacular in Game 4, but hasn’t found his consistent rhythm yet (he was 1-of-9 from the field in Game 6), which the Clippers really could use with the pressure George is facing (as well as Leonard, but he seems almost immune to it). Getting Beverley back on the court to limit Reggie Jackson minutes, even as Jackson played well offensively in the fourth quarter of Game 6, would be a big boost for a defense that seems to be finding its teeth again of late.

The next round against either Utah or Denver will see L.A. as heavy favorites once again, but if they want to be a title contender they have to get that second unit going. Getting Williams rolling will, in turn, get Harrell going as his offensive production is tied very closely to his favorite pick-and-roll partner’s, and expect that to be a focal point for Doc Rivers’ bunch early in the next round.