While odds are not necessarily in favor of the Dallas Mavericks in their first-round series with the Los Angeles Clippers, big man Kristaps Porzingis strongly believes that the Mavs could beat the Western powerhouse.
Although Porzingis was controversially ejected in Game 1, the Mavs' performance showed they can compete with the Clippers. With that said, KP is not losing his confidence despite the early setback.
“Our belief is still strong that we can beat these guys,” Kristaps Porzingis said, per Brad Towsend of The Dallas Morning News. “If we didn’t have the belief, we wouldn’t be here, anyway, and that’s our mindset going into the second game.”
Porzingis was ejected early in the third quarter of Game 1, finishing the night with 14 points, six rebounds and one assist across 20 minutes of play.
His production was critical though. The Mavs were down by as much as 16 points in the first quarter, but as the game went on, Porzingis and the rest of the team kept on executing their sets on both ends of the floor. They eventually went ahead 69-66 at the end of the first half.
While they lost 118-110, perhaps the most important thing was that they were able to stand toe-to-toe with the Clippers even without Porzingis. Luka Doncic filled the stat sheet as usual, finishing with 42 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
Moreover, the outputs of Tim Hardaway Jr. (18 points), Seth Curry (14 points, 4-of-8 from deep) and Dorian Finney-Smith (nine points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals) were good indicators that the Mavs have a formidable roster. Maybe it's even enough to outlast the Clippers, who have been one of the favorites to win the title all season long.
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