Dallas Mavericks 127-114 LA Clippers: 5 Talking Points as Luka Doncic secures his first playoff victory | NBA Playoffs 2020
A dominant performance from start to finish saw the Dallas Mavericks pick the LA Clippers apart in a 127-114 win in Game 2. They have now levelled the series at 1-1. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were at their best while Paul George struggled from the field.
Despite Kawhi Leonard's 35-point performance, the LA Clippers were unable to catch up to the Dallas Mavericks, who never lost the lead in this game.
Without further ado, let us look at five talking points from Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs series between the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks.
#5 Paul George struggles to shoot from the field
LA Clippers' star Paul George had a night to forget with just 14 points at the end of the game, and was unable to score even a single point in the first half. He ended the night on 4-17 shooting, going 2-10 from beyond the arc.
George was simply unable to make open three-point shots throughout the game and his struggles eventually led to the LA Clippers' loss in Game 2. While he contributed with 10 rebounds, he is expected to put up high scoring numbers as the second scoring option on this team.
Paul George will need to step up in this series since the Dallas Mavericks, with Luka Doncic and Kristpas Porzingis, lead the league in offensive rating. The LA Clippers will need their stars to keep up with the Dallas Mavericks' scoring in the games to come.
#4 The Dallas Mavericks' bench performance was stellar
With Luka Doncic in foul trouble for most of the second half, the LA Clippers threatened to make a comeback before the Dallas Mavericks' bench stepped up to keep up the scoring and take their team to a massive lead.
Seth Curry scored 13 points on 66.7% shooting from the field, giving the Mavericks a boost in the third quarter. Trey Burke went 7-11 from the field en route his 16 points. Boban Marjanovic dominated the interior with 12 points and 9 rebounds in just under 10 minutes.
The Dallas Mavericks will be very pleased with their bench performance, and they will hope for more such bursts from their bench in this series against the LA Clippers.
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#3 The LA Clippers struggle defensively
The LA Clippers have prided themselves on their elite defense throughout this season. In Game 2, however, they were unable to stop the Dallas Mavericks from relentlessly scoring the basketball.
The Dallas Mavericks ended the game with 45.5% scoring from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc. The LA Clippers ended up sending the Dallas Mavericks to the foul line a whopping 27 points in the game and many of their players were in foul trouble by the end of the game.
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis were able to get past the LA Clippers with ease, and these are ominous signs for the LA Clippers, who have legitimate title aspirations this season.
#2 Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams combine for 58 points
With the playoffs finally here, Kawhi Leonard is starting to show us why he is considered to be one of the most lethal players in the game today. He had a great night with 35 points and 11 rebounds, and shot well from the field, making 10 of his 21 field goal attempts.
Lou Williams once again showed us his class with a 23-point performance on 8-13 scoring, going 2-5 from beyond the arc. His form is a great sign for the LA Clippers going ahead.
Kawhi Leonard and Lou Williams will hope to keep up their great run throughout the playoffs.
#1 Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis dominate the LA Clippers
The Dallas Mavericks bounced back from their Game 1 loss against the LA Clippers with dominant performances from their stars Luka Doncic and Kristpas Porzingis.
Luka Doncic had just 1 turnover tonight en route his 28 points, after his 11 turnovers in Game 1, and also had 8 rebounds and 7 assists. While he was in foul trouble for most of the second half, his efforts in the first half to give the Dallas Mavericks the lead proved enough for them to secure the win in Game 2. Doncic will be very pleased with the first NBA playoff victory of his career.
Kristaps Porzingis bounced back in Game 2 after his ejection in the prior game. He put on a show with 23 points, going 7-13 from the field. The Unicorn also went 3-4 from beyond the arc as the two Dallas Mavericks stars had brilliant offensive outings in Game 2.
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