The Clippers vs. the Mavericks
Although they have met the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs three times in the last five years, the first two ended with the Mavericks going out. Therefore, the outside world generally agrees that the Clippers still have the strength to kick the Mavericks out of the game this season. But in fact, the Mavericks with Eastern European combinations are no longer the image they used to be. They have completed the upgrade of the second team, and the core championship squad has also been upgraded, and the overall strength has been greatly improved.
The Los Angeles Clippers, on the other hand, are suffering from injuries at this stage. Their star Leonard, although he has ushered in a comeback in the last two games, the team has lost without exception, so that the Mavericks have the initiative to take a 2-1 lead in the series. Realistically, if the Clippers don't have players who step up, the Eastern European pair will definitely be able to lead the team to quietly win the match point and be disgraced. But in this G4 battle, although the Clippers Leonard was absent, Harden and George in the team ushered in a big outbreak, and they were able to lead the team to a total score of 116-111, refusing a 31-point reversal, dragging the series into the battle of Tianwang Mountain.
Specific competition
In the first half of the competition, the Clippers performed very well overall, and at one point extended the difference between the two sides to 31 points. In the first quarter of the game, George shot 6 of 9 and 1 of 1 free throws, and delivered 16 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Harden also had 5 points and 3 assists, helping the team to a 39-16 lead and a 23-point lead. Entering the second quarter of the matchup, the Clippers were able to expand the difference to 31 points at one point. But unfortunately, Irving was able to step up in the second quarter, shooting 5-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free throw line, delivering 16 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists, successfully helping the team to a 33-27 score. The difference was reduced to 17 points.
Yibian fought again, and the Mavericks, who still maintained the disadvantage of the score, also chased the score strongly. In the third quarter of the matchup, Doncic sent 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block, and Irving even shot 4 of 7, continued to hand over 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, and led the team to a score of 29-16 to narrow the gap to 3 points. But he never expected that in the final quarter of the decisive victory, Harden showed a big heart, contributing a key 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and played a score of 34-33, thus helping the team achieve the final victory with a total score of 116-111.
epilogue
Needless to say, Harden's performance in this game was breathtaking. In the 40 minutes he played, he not only showed a big heart in the final quarter, contributing a crucial 15 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, but also made 4 of 5 three-pointers, shot 12 of 17, and delivered 33 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, effectively relieving the pressure on the team in all aspects. At the same time, George did not disappoint, shooting 7-of-10 from three-point range and delivering 33 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. In addition, Zubac also had 13 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist, as well as Mann, who had 11 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and Powell, who had 11 points off the bench.
On the other hand, on the side of the Mavericks, who missed the 31-point reversal at home, their Eastern European combination is indeed helpless. Owen battled for 44.5 minutes. He scored a game-high 40 points, as well as 7 rebounds and 5 assists. And Doncic also has a triple-double of 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he can only be powerless. Realistically, the role players on the Mavericks' side weren't good enough. Except for PJ Washington, who has 10 points and 4 rebounds, and Jones Jr. with 14 points and 7 rebounds, the scoring efficiency of the rest of the role players can't bear to look directly.