Under the leadership of Harden, the Clippers beat the Mavericks 109-97 and got off to a good start in the playoffs.
You must know that the Clippers did not win this game by chance, but by a big one. Although they only won by 12 points in the end, the Clippers basically won the first half. The Clippers beat the Mavericks 34-22 in the first quarter and led by 12 points in the first quarter. The most amazing thing was in the second quarter, under the Clippers' airtight defense, the Mavericks scored only 8 points in a single quarter. At halftime, the Clippers led by 26 points.
The Mavericks scored 8 points in a single quarter and 30 points in the half, which is simply incredible in the small-ball era. It's hard to imagine a team with Doncic and Irving scoring just 8 points in the quarter and 30 in the half. The Mavericks regained their groove in the second half, but it was too late. Doncic played 42 minutes, shooting 11-of-26, 4-of-12 from three-point range and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line to finish with 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. Irving played 39 minutes, shooting 10-of-18, 3-of-6 from three-point range and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line to finish with 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Eastern European combination combined for 64 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, and they still hated. Except for the Eastern European combination, the other players of the Mavericks seem to be playing the playoffs for the first time, and they either dare not shoot or can't shoot. PJ Washington was the only player outside the Eastern European duo to score in double figures, finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds on 4-of-10 shooting. Gafford scored just 3 points on 1-of-4 shooting, Derrick Jones Jr. started with zero points, Hardaway II Jr. had 6 points and 3 rebounds on 2-of-5 shooting, Josh Green had 4 points, Kleber 3 points, Levy 3 points and Exum 3 points.
On the other hand, the Clippers bloomed more and beat the Lone Ranger. Harden dreamed of returning to the top, playing 39 minutes, shooting 8-of-17, 6-of-11 three-pointers, 6-of-6 free throws, and scoring 28 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks. Paul George finished with 22 points, six rebounds and three assists on 8-of-20 shooting, 4-of-12 three-pointers and 2-of-2 free throws. Zubac exhaled and raised his eyebrows, shooting 10-of-17 from the field for 20 points and 15 rebounds. Mann had 13 points and nine rebounds, Westbrook had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists, Coffey had six points and three rebounds, and Powell had five points.
It's inconceivable that the Clippers can achieve such a big win without a small card. The Western championship pattern has changed dramatically, and the Clippers have become a force to be reckoned with. After all, the ability of the small card, that is beyond doubt. When Xiaoka returns healthy, the strength of the Clippers will be raised by one level. And it's worth mentioning that the Clippers have a good signing. If the Clippers leapfrog the Mavericks, the Western Conference semifinals will be the winner between the Thunder and Pelicans.
After watching the G1 of the Thunder and Pelicans, I don't know if the Lakers will regret it. Compared to the Nuggets, the Thunder are really much easier to play. Facing the Pelicans without Zion, the Thunder won but won in a mess. In the last minute of the game, the Thunder were still behind, and it was difficult to overtake it by relying on Alexander's five consecutive points. If it weren't for CJ McCollum's last-minute three-point shot, the Thunder would have had a black start.
Alexander played 39 minutes, shooting 11-of-24 from the field and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line to finish with 28 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jalen Williams had 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists on 8-of-18 shooting, and Holmgren had 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Except for three Thunder, no one has been able to score a double-double. You must know that the Pelicans are still missing Zion in this game, and the Thunder are playing so hard at home with a full lineup. It's not good, the Thunder will really be black eight by the Pelicans.
Even if the Lakers are selected 100 times, the Lakers will almost certainly still choose to finish seventh in the West to play the Nuggets. But objectively speaking, playing the Thunder in the first round is indeed much better than playing the Nuggets. Compared to the Nuggets, the Thunder are much worse. The main thing is that the fat man is really not human!