On April 24, Beijing time, the first round of the 2023-24 NBA playoffs G2 is in full swing, and the Los Angeles Clippers continue to host the Dallas Mavericks. The first game between the two sides ended with a big win for the Clippers, and Harden performed well in this game, cutting down the overall statistics of 28 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists. The whole team of 3 scored 20+, and Wei Shao also handed over his energy at both offensive and defensive ends after coming off the bench. The Mavericks Eastern European duo combined for 64 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, but the rest of the players were not good, with only Washington scoring 11 points, and the rest of the players scoring no more than 6 points.
In this game, the small card returned, and the Clippers Big 4 gathered, but the degree of run-in and the allocation of playing time are a problem. In addition, the Mavericks' first game loss will definitely be adjusted accordingly, and whether the Eastern European combination can lead other teammates to score points while cutting points is the key to victory or defeat.
In the first quarter, both teams had a lot of defensive intensity, and both focused on the arrowheads of both sides. The Mavericks shot 3-of-8 from the outside in this quarter, with an average shooting percentage, and the inside score basically relied on impacting the basket, but they also encountered the Clippers' strict defense, shooting only 4 shots. In the first quarter, Doncic was on fire, 4 of 9, 2 of 2 free throws and scored 12 points, and 1 rebound and 3 assists, but Irving didn't score a point; Xiaoka returned from injury and was still finding his form, and he didn't score a point in the first quarter, only getting 1 steal; Only George was in normal condition in the starting 3 giants, scoring 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting; the Clippers trailed by 4 points 19-23 in the first quarter;
In the second quarter, the two teams continued to fight with bayonets, looked at the outside line very strictly, and actively defended. The Clippers felt cold on the outside in this quarter, only 1 of 9 shots! The outside line could not be opened, and the Clippers turned on the basket attack mode; in this quarter, the Clippers created a lot of opportunities under the basket, 8 of 10 shots, with a high shooting percentage, and scored 22 points in a single quarter; it was difficult for the Mavericks to get a chance to shoot from the outside, and they only hit 1 of 5 shots, and they also relied on chiseling into the restricted area to create opportunities. The two teams were tied at 22 in this quarter, and the total score came to 45-41, and Irving only scored 7 points in the half, which is obviously abnormal!
Yibian fought again, and the Clippers continued to use the "wheel war" to strictly defend Doncic, and if someone was in charge, Zubac would also come to defend him. On the offensive end, Doncic will attack whoever he defends. This defensive strategy also worked, Doncic's shooting rate dropped significantly in this quarter, only 6 shots and 2 of 2 scored 5 points, only 1 rebound and 0 assists; the Mavericks also took the initiative to expand the defensive area, once a player hit the restricted area, 3 people immediately contracted and blocked, blocking the layup and the line of the ball, it was difficult for both sides to score! After the 3rd quarter, the Clippers overtook by 1 point and entered the final quarter 66-65;
In the final quarter, Zubac took the lead in breaking through the hook and scored, Harden assisted Powell with a 3-point shot through the heart, Zubac drifted and shot again, and the difference came to 6 points! After the pause, Washington and Doncic combined to score 9 points, and a small climax overtook the score and stopped the Clippers!
After the timeout, Irving scored five points in a row, and if the "Eastern European combination" is opened, it will be difficult for the Clippers. AT THE CRITICAL MOMENT, WEI SHAO HIT A 3-POINT SHOT TO STOP THE BLEEDING, WASHINGTON TURNED AROUND AND ANSWERED THE BALL WITH A 3-POINT ANSWER! DONCIC ASSISTED KLEBER WITH A 3-POINT SHOT, AND THEN A 3-POINT SURGE TO BRING THE DIFFERENCE TO 8 POINTS. In the end, the Clippers were unable to reverse the defeat, and the score was fixed at 96-93, and the two sides tied 1-1.
In this game, Doncic scored 32 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, Irving 23 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, Washington 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks, Jones 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block, and Lively 7 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block;
Harden scored 22 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in this game, and the number of free throws in his career playoff reached 1069, surpassing Magic Johnson to rank 10th in NBA history!George 22 points, 2 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, Xiaoka 15 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, 4 steals and 1 block, Zubac 13 points, 12 rebounds and 1 steal, Wei Shao 7 points, 9 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.