The Clippers and Mavericks tied 2-2, and the next game was a key game for Tianwang Mountain. Before the game, the two sides gave a list of the players, and Leonard continued to be absent to estimate the reimbursement for the first round. Doncic has a sprained knee, but will stick to the king. Now the Clippers and Mavericks are stuck in a conundrum, and that is about Leonard. Both of the Clippers' wins came without Leonard, and the Mavericks won both with Leonard. Now that both teams are entangled, the Mavericks don't know how to play the incoherent team, and the Clippers can't figure out if it's Leonard's pot?
But with the current situation, the Mavericks seem to want Leonard to play more. Sometimes it's ironic that Leonard has fallen to the point where opponents want him to play to increase their chances of winning. Irving actually made it clear after the game that the Mavericks needed Leonard very much.
Irving's explanation is: "When Leonard is not around, the Clippers are somehow different. I'm not disrespecting Leonard's talent, but I think Harden and George will play more freely and shoot more difficult shots. “
Irving smacked a bit of a distraction, completely isolating Leonard from the Clippers, but both George and Harden responded toughly. George said Leonard was injured and that he needed to help him win the game until he was fully recovered. Harden also means the same thing, someone has to step up. Harden and George are confident about the next game, and with the Clippers having home-court advantage, Harden and George need to give their all without regrets, plus Doncic has a knee injury. The Clippers will not miss this opportunity to target their weaknesses, as Leonard has been named by Doncic due to injury issues.
The G2 small card comeback looks okay, but the body is extremely stiff, and the court is always half a beat slow, and the Mavericks target Doncic and Irving. G3 Leonard's body is declining instead of improving, and Doncic and Irving, including other Mavericks players, are attacking Leonard almost every shot. He's slow on his feet and can't do anything with his lack of experience on the defensive end. It can be said that Leonard at that time was the existence of the oil bottle.
Now that Doncic has a knee injury, the Clippers will surely take their chances as well. In the last game, Harden hit Doncic 4 times in a row in the final quarter, almost all of them were one step. Doncic said after the game that injuries affect the defense, which also shows that Doncic also has a big knee problem, and the Clippers are better than the Mavericks in that they are a multi-giant team. Doncic and Irving have been severely depleted in their endurance, and this series will be decided quickly. If the Clippers can win Tianwang Mountain, they have a high probability of qualifying, and there is a great hope that they will end in G6.
On the contrary, if the Mavericks take Tianwang Mountain, the Clippers will most likely grab seven. This year is a pivotal year for Harden, his big contract, and whether he can find a long-term team. If the Clippers can get past the Mavericks, then Leonard's second-round form is very hopeful to recover 7-8. Because the news given by the Clippers media is that Leonard doesn't have any structural injury to his knee, it's just a simple inflammation problem.
This means that once the inflammation is gone, Leonard will be 100% recovered, which may take some time. It's a shame that Leonard's decision was made if he didn't make a comeback in G2 and instead announced a first-round reimbursement for the second round. Then good news for both the Clippers and Leonard. The Clippers may not be tied 2-2 by the Mavericks, and Leonard can continue to rest and recuperate for more than a month, which is actually enough for him to recover, which is a pity.