2024 NBA Playoffs - West 1st Round: #4 Los Angeles Clippers vs #5 Dallas Mavericks (DAL WINS 4-2)

[ejftw]

Haven't checked if this was pointed out but Mavs only committed 21 fouls and 9 - NINE - were on their two best players combined? Lol ok...

The amount of fouls definitely reflected the physicality too. Coffey was the only Clipper to play who had fewer than 3 fouls

It's the timing of them, too, so that Luka with 2 early on touch fouls meanwhile physicality was more present later seems inconsistent.

I think fans and teams just want that consistency.

Mann having touch fouls, who's the best defender on Luka.

Zu being robbed of four (or was it six?) free throws.

PG getting called for a push off but not Luka.

Can go both ways on this. Overall, throughout the series, the whistle has definitely favored Dallas, though, not by an egregious amount sans G1, which didn't matter as it was a blow out.

[G R E Y]

The amount of fouls definitely reflected the physicality too. Coffey was the only Clipper to play who had fewer than 3 fouls

It's the timing of them, too, so that Luka with 2 early on touch fouls meanwhile physicality was more present later seems inconsistent.

I think fans and teams just want that consistency.

Mann having touch fouls, who's the best defender on Luka.

Zu being robbed of four (or was it six?) free throws.

PG getting called for a push off but not Luka.

Can go both ways on this. Overall, throughout the series, the whistle has definitely favored Dallas, though, not by an egregious amount sans G1, which didn't matter as it was a blow out.

It's just when the two best players on a team, and particularly Luka with 2 early fouls, get called, it affects a player's intensity level. It's in their head.

Harden and PG are the kings of forearm push offs so even if these cancel out Luka's then the range of fouls from touch to more physicality has been inconsistent. Not just within this game, but from one game to the next. Just wish the range and calls within the range would be more consistent.

Imagine PG and then Harden called for early fouls. It would affect the way the one defends and the other scores.

Having to be more tentative and pull back so early after two soft calls when later calls were for more physical play is hard to reconcile.

[FarBeyondDriven]

How can Luka be out of shape? I thought everyone was saying he’s been in good shape all season?

He's not. If you can play 45 minutes of playoff basketball at a high level being the primary option on offense and not being a complete turnstile on defense you're in pretty great shape, better than the majority of NBA players.

People just say Luka is out of shape because he's not cut like a bodybuilder, but like the results speak for themselves. He's exerting more energy than most players do and he's still got gas left in the tank at the end of the game. The conditioning isn't a problem.

that's the rub...he IS an absolute turnstile on defense. And because he's out of shape he ends up settling for these step back threes instead of pushing into the teeth of the defense where he's most effective.

[HotRocks34]

I just watched Luka's Game 4 post-game press conference and one thing he mentioned was that the two games that Dallas lost were both day games (both featuring poor starts). Both games took place on Sundays at 3:30pm ET, I believe.

Game 5 and Game 6 are night games but Game 7 is scheduled for next Sunday, if the series goes that far.

If Dallas is having trouble with the early start time they better figure out a solution quick.

[famicommander]

I just watched Luka's Game 4 post-game press conference and one thing he mentioned was that the two games that Dallas lost were both day games (both featuring poor starts). Both games took place on Sundays at 3:30pm ET, I believe.

Game 5 and Game 6 are night games but Game 7 is scheduled for next Sunday, if the series goes that far.

If Dallas is having trouble with the early start time they better figure out a solution quick.

Luka has no time to recover from his breakfast beers when they play in the daytime, it's not fair

[LaLover11]

Realistically who the Clippers trade Kawhi for this upcoming season?

[ryguy613]

The thing that worries me so far is I just havent seen the Mavs run much of an offense through 2 games in this series. Lots of iso... lots of pretty ugly 2 man game offense where Luka passes out of a double team to a rolling big who cant seem to finish at the rim for some reason. it just hasnt looked very impressive.

You don't watch much Dallas RS basketball I guess. I mean this is how Dallas plays offense. It's just most teams don't have the bodies to switch everything and its much harder here for Luka to get a matchup to abuse. Give some credit to the Clippers defense here man. They are really good. And normally Gafford/Lively are elite finishers, particularly Gafford. I mean he led the league in FG% and challenged a Wilt record for consecutive makes. And Dallas with Gafford starting lost like one game.

It's not pretty offense. It's reliant on Luka being the best combination of scoring/passing in the league and Kyrie's absurd shot-making ability. I wouldn't recommend other teams try this. But its how Dallas plays. This isn't new to the playoffs. It's just the Clippers are defending really well and Dallas had a disastrous shooting half. Which is going to happen when you take a bunch of 3's. It's natural variance.

i do give a lot of credit to the clippers defense. thats why im concerned. it would be one thing to just have a couple of uncharacteristically bad offensive games where shots arent falling, but to me it just looks like the clippers defense is really bothering this team, which has resulted in a not great shot selection overall to this point. If Kawhi can continue to get healthier and shake the rust off, that might get even worse for you guys... though like i said earlier, who the hell knows where that guys health actually is. I personally like the Mavs to win game 3, with the help of some home cooking. Game 4 is going to be when we see how this series will shift, in my opinion. If Im right about game 3, youd have a desperate clippers team against a confident mavs team. Mavs take a commanding lead by winning both home games, then id happily admit i was wrong... Clips claw their way back into the series by winning game 4... not sure the mavs would have enough in the tank to take back control of the series. We'll see

Hate to be the "I told ya so" guy but uh.... yeah....

[Benedict_Boozer]

That corner 3 George hit basically won this game. Huge huge shot at that point in the game with Kyrie going Kobe mode.

This series is wild, would think DAL would dog walk the Clips without Kawhi

[madmaxmedia]

I literally saw Maxi back off Harden who was coming at him in the lane and guard some other player while Harden went in for the easy score, on multiple occasions. He didn't even try to put a hand up or anything. It was like Kidd or Maxi had some gambling debt they had to pay off by taking a dive.

I need to watch the 2 clips you posted, but on at least one occasion he backed off to stay on Zu. Harden absolutely loves tossing short lobs to Zu for easy dunks. Again, Im not saying that was the situation on all his drives though.

[Max Headrom]

Watch Maxi back off and just let Harden score. (2nd video, can't separate it from the first one)

Read on Twitter

Stopping this isn't as simple as putting Lively or Gafford in. You come up to try and block that Harden floater, he just throws a lob. It's basically pick your poison

[madmaxmedia]

Realistically who the Clippers trade Kawhi for this upcoming season?

Healthy, he is the easily the best player on the team. Ironically he played a lot of games this regular season, even enough to qualify for awards LOL. Maybe the load management was a good thing after all.

[Mavrelous]

Kyrie has been the best player for Dallas this series, but Luke can't sit down, it's the same situation as in 21, Lue's defense can kill weaker backup PGs, and it results in overplaying Luka, whether it was Brunson in 21 or Exum in 24, the team just can't get going at all without Luka on the floor, and in the end of this game, with 5 fouls and bum knee, after 40+ minutes 36 hours ago, and 40+ minutes today, it was hopeless on defense.

[Mk0]

I just watched Luka's Game 4 post-game press conference and one thing he mentioned was that the two games that Dallas lost were both day games (both featuring poor starts). Both games took place on Sundays at 3:30pm ET, I believe.

Game 5 and Game 6 are night games but Game 7 is scheduled for next Sunday, if the series goes that far.

If Dallas is having trouble with the early start time they better figure out a solution quick.

Luka has no time to recover from his breakfast beers when they play in the daytime, it's not fair

His bed head makes way more sense now. Dude just rolled out of bed and went straight to work.

[Wammy Giveaway]

Realistically who the Clippers trade Kawhi for this upcoming season?

Leonard cannot be traded because he signed an extension back in January. Clippers must wait a full year before they can move him.

Because of his injury history, he's damaged goods. The only thing they'll be able to get with his contract value are distressed players, those who can be bought out or are on expiring deals with waive clauses. Nobody is going to give Clippers draft picks for Leonard, even if they are clearly tanking, because they want to see them be punished for their actions. If there's a bone to be thrown, it'll be draft rights to some guy from overseas, but those deals never pan out.

The only way they'll ever be able to get picks again is if they trade Tyronn Lue. Funny I mention this as, ever since they traded a pick for Doc Rivers in 2013, their ability to draft players has been abysmal (I am ignoring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander here). It was also symbolism, Clippers vowing to never miss the playoffs again, and they have made the playoffs 9 times out of 11 since that move. If Clippers were to trade Lue for picks to make up for the damaged goods value of Leonard, maybe their draft powers will be restored... at the cost of playoff appearances.

[MMyhre]

I just watched Luka's Game 4 post-game press conference and one thing he mentioned was that the two games that Dallas lost were both day games (both featuring poor starts). Both games took place on Sundays at 3:30pm ET, I believe.

Game 5 and Game 6 are night games but Game 7 is scheduled for next Sunday, if the series goes that far.

If Dallas is having trouble with the early start time they better figure out a solution quick.

Luka has no time to recover from his breakfast beers when they play in the daytime, it's not fair

McDonalds food takes some time to digest. Makes sense. Maybe Luka can eat Harden.

[ChipotleWest]

Watch Maxi back off and just let Harden score. (2nd video, can't separate it from the first one)

Read on Twitter

Stopping this isn't as simple as putting Lively or Gafford in. You come up to try and block that Harden floater, he just throws a lob. It's basically pick your poison

You live with the then you don't just stand there like a fool and back away saying here's a free pass to the basket. Lively in he might not be able to throw it over him. But Kidd went with Maxi. Your team was mostly having to shoot 3s when they put a real center in, your team was making them to be fair, but there was no lay up line to the rim. How can you not see that? There weren't these lobs and layups until Maxi was the center, because he can't play center. And Kidd played him the entire 4th quarter and left both bigs on the bench. This is what happened, there is no debating it. He said he'd rather Harden make 2's than 3's, ridiculous notion. He should be fired for being so dumb.

Read on Twitter

He looks confused there like do I cover the lob or Harden, so I'll just do neither.

[ChipotleWest]

This was before yesterdays game, before Maxi was the "center"

Read on Twitter

[Hans1984]

I don't think J.J. Redick and Doris Burke is a good combination.

[ChipotleWest]

I don't think J.J. Redick and Doris Burke is a good combination.

Awful, and they got rid of JVG and Mark Jackson who I thought were really good. Some people still criticized them for some reason, but there's no way they're worse than this.

[Hans1984]

I don't think J.J. Redick and Doris Burke is a good combination.

Awful, and they got rid of JVG and Mark Jackson who I thought were really good. Some people still criticized them for some reason, but there's no way they're worse than this.

JVG was great. I miss him.