In the NBA playoffs, it’s either win or go home. It seems like the Los Angeles Clippers(2-3) have a plan already set to fly them to Cancun based on how they played Wednesday night. It was a disaster against the Dallas Mavericks(3-2), which was probably hard for any LA fan to watch.
Every quarter was the same for them, with their highest-scoring one being 24 points, while Dallas’s lowest-scoring one was 25. The stars failed to contribute the necessary amount to push their team forward. On the other hand, the Mavs had a low-scoring night from Kyrie Irving, a rare occurrence that the Clippers couldn’t capitalize on.
Los Angeles Clippers Stars Fall Flat
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Last night, LA didn’t have Kawhi Leonard. However, this is no excuse, as they have won twice without him in the series. The difference is that in both of those games, James Harden was playing on another level. In Wednesday’s loss, he only had seven points, seven assists, and four rebounds. If he is going to play like that for the rest of the series, they might as well pack their bags now.
Paul George’s night should also be criticized. He had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. These would be fine stats for a role player to get in a big game. However, George is not a role player, he’s one of the keys to the Clippers winning this series. He’s averaging 19.8 points per game and needs to be getting that consistently for them to beat the Mavs in game six.
Luka Doncic Shredding LA Defense
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Luka Doncic had 35 points, ten assists, and seven rebounds last night. He was the only player on his team to get about 20 points. In the series, he averages 30.2 points per game. There have been moments where the defense has caused him to struggle, but it isn’t consistent, as one can tell. He’s a player who can put the team on his back and win without any help.
Irving didn’t have the best game last night. However, with Doncic playing elite basketball and the Clippers starting five looking like kids lost in a grocery store, it didn’t matter. Doncic can drag this team to the finish line if he wants to. Having 25+ from Irving most nights is also helpful. If both of them play at full capacity in game six, it will be game over for LA.
LA Needs to Make Some Changes
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With the team struggling to score Wednesday night and in almost every fourth quarter of the series, something needs to change. The Mavs are a team that never stops pushing. If you leave the door open for them, they will not miss out on the opportunity. There needs to be discussions on how to improve in the fourth.
One thing that should be looked at is the amount of turnovers LA has had. In game five, the starting five had nine turnovers combined. As a team, they are averaging 12.8 turnovers per game. There are teams averaging more than them and still winning games. The problem is that Dallas is consistent in scoring off of turnovers, and LA can’t seem to score even with a 24-second possession.
Every player on the Clippers needs to step it up. A starter can’t be having a game where they score three points like Amir Coffey did last night. There is very little scoring power on this team without Leonard in the game. Someone has to step it up before the Clippers get bounced from the playoffs.
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Elizabeth is an avid watcher of all things sports. However, the Boston sports teams will always be her number one. Her favorite sport to watch is basketball, but she also enjoys professional wrestling, soccer, and baseball. You can find her on X @edellapiana1 to check out more content.
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