The Dallas Mavericks struggled to find any momentum during the first half of Sunday's 109-97 Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic helped Dallas begin to perform much better in the second half, but Dallas still ultimately dropped their first game of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Doncic knows the Mavs have what it takes to bounce back, though.
“We just gotta play like we used to play. Like we played the last 20 games of the season,” Doncic said after the loss, via Mavs Fans For Life. “Passing the ball, cutting, ball movement. I think we did a great job the last 20 games. So we just gotta play like that.”
Luka led the Mavs with 33 points and 13 rebounds. He added six assists and one steal. Kyrie Irving also impressed with 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The Mavericks superstar duo combined for 64 points overall.
The rest of the team, however, scored just 33 points.
It goes without saying, but Dallas will need more contributions from the rest of the roster. Doncic and Irving could combine for 70-plus points next game, but it will not matter if their teammates don't help on a more consistent basis.
Fortunately, their teammates had performed well to end the season. The acquisitions of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington have paid dividends, while players such as Dante Exum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Josh Green stepped up throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
Mavericks searching for Game 2 victory
Earning a Game 2 win in Los Angeles will prove to be a challenge. Kawhi Leonard's status will be important to monitor, as the Clippers star missed Game 1 with a knee injury. Doncic addressed the impact of Leonard's absence following Sunday's contest.
“We were prepared like he was gonna play obviously,” Doncic said, via Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “But that shouldn't change our mentality. Their mentality was next man up. I think they executed very well. We just gotta stay focused 48 minutes. It's playoffs, so we gotta stay focused 48 minutes.”
Dallas was preparing for Leonard to play. He was officially ruled out before tip-off, though. The Mavericks did a fairly respectable job of containing Paul George amid Leonard's absence, but James Harden stepped up and led the Clippers with 28 points.
It was a frustrating defeat for the Mavs. Their shots were not falling for the most part, while there was a point where it seemed like the Clippers could not miss. In the end, it was just a difficult game for Dallas.
The good news? It is only one game. This Mavericks team expects to rebound and play a quality brand of basketball in Game 2.
Tuesday's affair is not necessarily a mandatory must-win game, but going down 0-2 is obviously far from ideal. So taking care of business and earning at least one road victory before heading home for the third and fourth games of the series will be important.
Tip-off for Game 2 is scheduled for 10 PM EST on Tuesday in Los Angeles.
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