The Clippers stopped in the playoffs, the Mavericks laughed proudly, and the deep thinking behind the loss
In the smoke of the NBA playoffs, the series between the Clippers and the Mavericks ended in a high-profile battle. This time, however, the Clippers failed to continue their saga, instead losing 101-114 and ending their playoff journey with a 2-4 overall score. This game is not only a game of victory or defeat, but also a comprehensive test of the overall strength and tactical layout of the Clippers.
Judging from the data, Harden, the offensive core of the Clippers, only hit 5 of 16 shots in this game, and missed 6 three-pointers, scoring only 16 points. Such a performance is obviously a failure for a superstar. Harden is an important scoring point for the team, and his sluggish form has directly affected the overall offense of the Clippers. Despite his strong desire to win on the court, he clearly failed to find an effective way to score against the Mavericks' tight defense. In the absence of Leonard, Harden would have had to take on more offensive responsibility, but he clearly didn't do that in this game.
Compared to Harden, George's performance was just as disappointing. He made 6 of 18 shots from the field and just 2 of 10 three-pointers to score 18 points. When the Clippers needed him to step up, George didn't show the temperament of a leader. He has issues with selection and efficiency on the offensive end and is unable to bring consistent scoring to the team. At the same time, he failed to effectively limit the opponent's offense on the defensive end, allowing the Mavericks' players to be comfortable on the court.
However, the Clippers' loss wasn't just a matter for the two core players. Judging from the whole game, the Clippers lacked a clear tactical arrangement and effective coordination on the offensive end. They seem to rely too much on individual singles on the court and ignore the strength of the team. This style of play is obviously not enough against the powerful Lone Ranger. The Clippers need to step up their coordination and passing on the offensive end to find more scoring opportunities.
In addition to the problems on the offensive end, the Clippers also have significant deficiencies on the defensive end. They can't effectively limit the Mavericks' offense and allow opponents to score easily on the court. Defensively, the Clippers need to improve their players' defensive awareness and ability to strengthen their marking and packing of opponents. Only in this way can we effectively reduce the scoring efficiency of the opponent and strive for more chances of victory for the team.
In this game, the role players of the Clippers, although they performed well, could not hide the sluggish form of the core players. The likes of Mann, Zubac and Powell all showed good quality on the pitch, but their performances could not make up for the mistakes of the key players. In team basketball, each player plays an important role, but the role of the core player is even more crucial. They need to step up in key moments and bring consistent scoring and defense to the team.
In addition, the Clippers will also need to make adjustments in their tactical set-up and player rotation. They need to find a tactical style of play that suits the team more closely and allows the players to work together more closely on the pitch. At the same time, they also need to arrange the rotation of players more rationally so that players can maintain their best condition on the field. Only then will the Clippers be able to achieve better results in future games.
Looking back at the entire series, the Clippers' loss was not accidental. They lack a clear tactical set-up and effective coordination on the offensive end, and there are obvious deficiencies on the defensive end. At the same time, the sluggish form of the core players has also affected the overall performance of the team. However, losing is not terrible, the key is to learn from your failures and keep improving. The Clippers need to strengthen their training and adjust their tactical play in the coming seasons to improve the ability and chemistry of their players. Only then will they be able to re-emerge and win more in future competitions.