The LA Clippers travel to Dallas with the belief that they can avoid elimination since they have avoided elimination against the Mavericks in the past after playing their worst game of the series and losing Game 5 in what could have been their final game at Crypto.com Arena.
The Clippers went to Dallas in the first round of the 2021 playoffs trailing 3-2, but they rallied to force a Game 7. In that series, they won three times in Dallas and went on to advance.
The Clippers are relying on that expertise after losing 123-93 on Wednesday night and looked like they had no answer for Dallas’ defense while shooting a dismal 9-for-35 from outside the arc.
The Clippers’ coach Ty Lue stated, “We just didn’t play well, all around, defensively and offensively.” It’s okay; we simply didn’t play well in the match. Page over. We know we can win on that court, and you still need to win four games.”
They have defeated Dallas in six games during a first-round series in 2020 and again in seven games during the first round of the postseason the following year, so they will draw on their recent postseason experience against the Mavericks.
And on Sunday, they triumphed in Game 4 in Dallas. Regarding their ability to prevail in Dallas, Lue remarked, “We’ve shown that past two playoff series.” “[In 2021], we were behind 3-2. We acknowledge that we didn’t play at our best. I believe we all comprehend that in unison. Thus, we’ll improve for Game 6.
When asked what it will take to recover from the biggest postseason defeat in the team’s history, Lue responded that his group must act. “Mentally, knowing that if we lose Game 6, our season’s over,” said Lue.
Naturally, the Clippers had a healthy Kawhi Leonard in both of their previous postseason series victories over the Mavericks. Leonard had missed the previous two games in this series due to inflammation in his right knee, which was surgically fixed. He keeps trying to reduce the inflammation with regular therapy.
The Clippers’ head of basketball operations, Lawrence Frank, however, stated that his star player won’t be allowed to play until he can move in the same manner as he did when he returned to the court for Game 2 after more than three weeks off.
The Clippers’ offensive performance that night was the lowest in the series without Leonard. James Harden, who shot just 2-for-12, including 1-for-7 from the 3-point range, after averaging 30.5 points in the Clippers’ previous two victories without Leonard. He finished with four turnovers, seven assists, and seven points.
Lue said, “Being human,” when asked what caused Harden to have a difficult night. “It’s acceptable for him to play poorly. Our shooting was lacking. They made an effort to stand up and exert some pressure, which we failed to counter like we had in the first four games. He performed poorly. It is conceivable. He was not a good player.
In order to prepare for Game 6, when I know he’ll be better, I need to do a better job of placing him in better situations.” The Game 4 victory in Dallas was fueled by 33 points apiece from Harden and Paul George. On Wednesday, however, George went 4 for 13 and finished with 11 rebounds and 15 points.
With a poor shooting performance (2 for 11 from the field), Russell Westbrook ended the game with 6 points and 5 rebounds. The Clippers once made 16 consecutive 3-point shots, missing them from late in the first to late in the third quarter.
In the first half, the team overplayed their defense, forcing turnovers or aiming for steals, which left the Clippers vulnerable. But supporting cast members like Maxi Kleber made the Clippers pay for their errors, hitting five of seven shots from beyond the arc for a total of fifteen points.
The Clippers will relocate to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, for the upcoming season. Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena will have been the Clippers’ last home game if they lose in Dallas on Friday.
The Clippers really hope to make it back for a seventh game. “The atypical errors we committed,” George remarked. “Throughout this series, that wasn’t who we were.
We are not like that. We must therefore improve. Particularly in this instance, having the potential to lead 3-2 and not seize that opportunity. The Clippers will relocate to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, for the upcoming season. Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena will have been the Clippers’ last home game if they lose in Dallas on Friday.
“However, we’ve been here already. 3-2 and heading to Dallas. We are of the mindset that we should attempt to go to Dallas and win. It must be a victory.”