At half past three in the morning on April 29, Beijing time, the first round of the NBA playoffs in the West G4 officially started: Mavericks home vs Clippers. Leonard missed the game due to an inflammation in his right knee and has no return timetable. In the previous two playoff games, Xiaoka averaged 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 turnovers per game, and shot 0 of 5 three-pointers in total.
On the Mavericks' side, Hardaway Jr. suffered a sprained right ankle and couldn't play today. Doncic has a sore right knee and plays with an injury. Mavericks starters: Doncic, Irving, Jones, Washington, Gafford Clippers starters: Harden, Mann, Coffey, George, Zubac. If the Clippers lose again, the overall score will become 1-3!
Speaking of the game, just two and a half minutes into the first quarter, Doncic received his second personal foul. After playing 5 minutes, Harden also committed 2 fouls, and neither of them was replaced. The Mavericks opened with 0-of-5 three-pointers and missed a lot of open spots. With 4:19 left in the first quarter, the Clippers led by 9 points at 19-10, George scored 8 points on 3-of-5 shooting, and he scored only 7 points in G3.
The small card didn't play, George let go, and led the Clippers to play a wave of 19-2 attacks, leading directly to 20+! With Powell hitting a three-point shot at the whistle, the first quarter was over, and the Clippers led by 23 points at 39-16! The Clippers made 8 of 11 three-pointers, and the Mavericks were 0 of 7, George turned on the rampage mode, and cut 16+3+3 in 6 of 9 in a single quarter!
That's right, George scored alone, and the whole team was the same as the Mavericks! At the beginning of the second quarter, George rested off the court, with Harden and Westbrook leading the team. The Mavericks continued to hit three points, hitting 0 of 11 shots! Just six minutes into the second quarter, the Clippers led by 31 points. Irving scored 9 points in a row, two three-pointers and broke through 2+1, and the Mavericks chased 22 points.
George hit three three-pointers in the second quarter to fight Irving. Although the score difference is still about 20 points, the second quarter of the offensive battle is really good. Irving didn't score in the first quarter and scored 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the second quarter. Harden was no different, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the quarter, and George scored 10 points. Take a look at Owen's worship of the Buddha:
The Mavericks made 4-of-8 three-pointers in the second quarter, and they warmed up, recovering six points at 33-27 in the first quarter! At halftime, the Clippers led by 17 points at 66-49. George finished with 26 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 9-of-14 shooting in the first half, and Harden had 18 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists. Irving had 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists, and Doncic had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. The Mavericks have a hidden problem, Doncic has already committed three fouls.
At the beginning of the second half, the Mavericks started from the inside, and Irving kept naming Harden and broke through easily. With 8 minutes and 40 seconds left in the third quarter, the Mavericks went on a 12-5 run and quickly chased 10 points. You know, the Clippers led by as many as 31 points in the second quarter. Owen felt good, but he couldn't get the ball in the next 3 minutes, and the difference was still about 10 points.
Doncic can kill in positional battles, but the offensive and defensive transitions should still give the ball to Irving, so that the Mavericks can speed up. Harden, Zubac and Mann all had 4 fouls, Lively and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 5 points in a row, Irving scored 3 points from the outside, and with 1 minute and 35 seconds left in the third quarter, the Mavericks chased it to 76-78! George 2+1 to help the Clippers stop the bleeding.
At the end of the third quarter, the Clippers led by 4 points at 82-78, and it was really hard to say who would die. Doncic 20+8+8, but 0-of-7 three-pointers, Irving 26+5+4. George 28+6+7, Harden still scored 18 points, and did not score in the third quarter. In the final quarter, Plumlee kept scoring baskets, and the Clippers regained their lead to double digits with an 8-0 run.
In the fourth quarter, the Mavericks let Kleber play the No. 5 position, there was a problem with the frame, Irving continued his life with three points, Washington counterattacked 2+1, and the Mavericks chased 5 points in the last 6 minutes. Doncic committed 5 fouls, Harden chased him and played, and Deng Ge scored 4 points in a row. 2 minutes and 14 seconds, Irving broke through 1v3, the Mavericks overtook him! George responded with three points, and Harden broke through 2+1!
George and Harden helped the Clippers escape, and Harden dreamed of returning to the top with 15 points in the fourth quarter. Kleber kept shrinking the basket, and Harden hit multiple mid-range throws. With a five-point deficit of 47.5 seconds, the Mavericks were powerless to return to the sky, and the game was over, and the Clippers defeated the Mavericks 116-111 to tie the overall score 2-2. The Clippers led by as many as 31 points and were almost reversed!
Harden 33 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, George 33 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals, Deng Qiao combined 66 + 12 + 15! The referee's blowing penalty also sparked controversy, with many fans thinking that it was aimed at the Clippers! Finally, let's take a look at the game stats and tell us how you feel: