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You could just imagine the huge sigh of relief the Los Angeles Clippers must have let out after finally getting Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks out of their hair. It took the Clippers seven games to take care of business in the first round. Tucked inside the series were two do-or-die games for LA, which had to claw back from a 3-2 series deficit.
Doncic ate in the series, expanding his profile as one of the budding superstars of the NBA — if he isn't one already. The Slovenian averaged 35.7 points per game in the opening round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
That's speaking a lot about his abilities, considering the fact that the Clippers already have two of the best perimeter defenders in the game today in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. But it also appears that another veteran, an older one, helped the Clippers a great deal in softening the relentless blows from Doncic.
Via Justin Russo:
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The final one for the series.
Game 7.
Batum ON, Doncic ON: LAC +5 (42 MIN)
Batum ON, Doncic OFF: N/A
Batum OFF, Doncic ON: DAL +4 (3 MIN)Series.
Batum ON, Doncic ON: LAC +37 (194 MIN)
Batum ON, Doncic OFF: LAC +33 (30 MIN)
Batum OFF, Doncic ON: DAL +44 (87 MIN)— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) June 7, 2021
Batum saw his playing time get a boost in the playoffs, as the Clippers tried to match up against the Mavs. Batum averaged 32.1 minutes in the first round and even found himself making starts over Ivica Zubac with LA deciding to roll out a small starting unit in hopes of throwing off Dallas.
It took a total team effort for the Clippers to beat the Mavericks. For what it's worth, Doncic even shot 58.3 percent from the field in the series when Batum was his nearest defender, but as what the bunch of stats above suggests, there was something in the French forward did right whenever he's on the floor together with the Mavs' star.
