The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Dallas Mavericks during Game 3 on Friday. Unable to keep up with the Mavs' second-quarter barrage, LA ended up getting blown out to go down 2-1 in their opening-round playoff series.
It was a steady first quarter for the Clippers, with balanced scoring from multiple players. However, they'd get their last taste of the lead with over seven minutes left in the second, as the Mavericks suddenly went on a huge run to enter halftime with a 13-point advantage.
Throughout the game, the Clippers tried catching up, even trimming the deficit to as little as six points in the third. However, the Mavericks would hold them off, ballooning the point differential back to double digits and taking home the win in a very heated game.
So what went wrong on the Clippers' end?
Russell Westbrook and Terance Mann have to score…and avoid the technicals
It was a game marred by altercations, with Westbrook and Mann mostly in the middle of them. To make things worse, both players failed to produce a single field goal throughout the outing. Westbrook finished with 1 point on 0-of-7 from the field in over 19 minutes of action while Mann went 0-of-3 for just two points in nearly 23 minutes.
Westbrook may not be expected to carry a team like he once did during his younger years, but as one of the Clippers' primary scorers off the bench, finishing without a field goal will definitely hurt the team. Furthermore, the athletic point guard is tasked to be a spark plug with his playmaking, rebounding and fast-paced style of play…but how can he do that if he gets ejected? With six minutes left in the final quarter, a hard foul by Westbrook on Luka Doncic resulted in a scuffle that got the former thrown out of the game.
While the Mavericks were already up by 16 at that point, six minutes is still plenty of time by NBA standards. The league has seen plenty of miraculous comebacks in the past, so moving forward, it's best that Westbrook keeps himself on the floor even if his team is down big.
As for Terance Mann, he's not expected to score a lot, being slotted in the starting lineup for defensive purposes. Still, ending the night without a field goal isn't really ideal for someone who averages 25 minutes a game.
The stars were also quiet
Kawhi Leonard and Paul George had their fair share of struggles as well. It was Leonard's second game back from right-knee inflammation, and it seems like he hasn't found his groove yet. The Klaw tallied nine points while taking just seven attempts from the floor. Still, Leonard did have nine rebounds to his name.
George, on the other hand, dealt with early foul trouble. Three out of his five personal fouls occurred in the first half, and overall, the wingman finished with seven points while shooting 27.3% from the field.
The Clippers need to protect the ball
Both sides managed to finish the game with similar team-field-goal percentages. Interestingly enough, despite the struggles of certain players, the Clips had a higher three-point rating than the Mavericks (LA shot 34.5% while Dallas had 25.7%). Furthermore, in terms of free-throw percentages, the Clippers (80%) were even more efficient than the Mavs (73.7%). It can be noted that both teams had a nearly identical amount of free-throw attempts.
What was the difference maker then? Turnovers.
Dallas' defense took a toll on the Clippers this game. LA committed a total of 19 turnovers, 12 of which came from the starters. The Mavericks, on the other hand, had just eight.
If the Clippers want to bounce back, they'll have to secure the ball more and make sure that all their stars contribute well offensively. James Harden and Norman Powell were the only players to eclipse 20 points for the Clips, and that's troubling with the likes of Leonard, George and Westbrook on the roster.
The team will get a chance to bounce back once Game 4 tips off this coming Sunday.
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