The Clippers survived.
They survived the absence of their greatest participant. They survived a late-game onslaught by the guests.
They received their postseason opener Sunday, taking down the Dallas Mavericks in Sport 1 of their Western Convention first-round playoff collection, however they didn’t make an announcement or show some extent in a 109-97 victory at Crypto.com Enviornment.
They survived.
In addition to James Harden performed within the first half, as large as Paul George got here up in a two-minute stretch halfway by the fourth quarter, the Clippers had been lacking one thing.
They had been lacking their nearer.
Clippers
All-Star ahead Kawhi Leonard missed his ninth straight recreation however the Clippers constructed a 29-point lead in third quarter to beat Dallas in collection opener.
April 21, 2024
They had been lacking Kawhi Leonard.
The Clippers led by as many as 29 factors, however with Leonard nonetheless unavailable due to a proper knee damage that sidelined him for the final two weeks of the common season, the sport was by no means fully out of attain.
Greater than their very own shot-making potential down the stretch, the victory was a operate of an terrible taking pictures day for Mavericks All-Star ahead Luka Doncic, who made solely 4 of 13 photographs within the first half, together with one in all seven three-pointers.
Doncic and Kyrie Irving had been a mixed five-for-19 taking pictures over the primary two quarters, which is why the Mavericks went into halftime behind 56-30.
The Mavericks scored solely eight factors within the second quarter. What number of extra occasions can the Clippers rely on that occuring?
Sport 1 was a mirrored image of the Clippers’ present actuality, as there isn’t a timetable for when Leonard returns.
Requested about when Leonard might come again, coach Tyronn Lue mentioned, “He was on the ground the final couple of days and we’re undecided. We’re simply taking it daily.”
The Clippers aren’t a championship contender with out the high-performing model of Leonard they’d for almost all of this season. Their goal now needs to be to carry on till that participant rejoins them on the court docket.
They’ll want extra of Harden, and they’ll want extra of George.
“We nonetheless have greater than sufficient,” George mentioned. “Clearly, Kawhi places us nicely excessive. However we nonetheless received greater than sufficient. The posh we’ve got is simply expertise with James, myself, Russ [Westbrook].”
George additionally pointed to the group of Norman Powell, Terance Mann and Amir Coffey.
“We’ve been collectively for some time and we’ve been by these journeys for some time now as nicely,” George mentioned. “We nonetheless received sufficient to win video games. Clearly, we wish Kawhi again when he’s prepared. However I nonetheless suppose we’ve got sufficient to proceed to push ahead and win video games when we have to.”
George, who scored 22 factors, was one of many main causes the Clippers received Sunday.
With 8 minutes 24 seconds left within the recreation, Doncic sank a 3 to scale back the Clippers’ result in 90-75.
George responded by scoring the Clippers’ subsequent seven factors. He supplied the help on a 3 that prolonged the result in 100-78.
“It’s not like we felt we weren’t going to win as a result of we don’t have Kawhi,” George mentioned. “We nonetheless really feel assured and cozy regardless who’s suiting up. So, yeah, we all know how good we will be. We’re tremendously coached. We received an excellent locker room. We received greater than sufficient.”
The Mavericks mounted one other cost over the following couple of minutes, a stretch wherein George missed two photographs and dedicated a turnover. These had been the sorts of moments wherein the Clippers might have used Leonard.
A 3 by Harden with 3:20 left supplied the Clippers with respiratory room, however the place was Harden earlier than that?
His earlier area purpose was a 3 that counted as the primary basket of the second half. Between the pair of threes, Harden’s solely factors got here on a few free throws.
To Harden’s credit score, he was the participant most answerable for the Clippers’ dominant first half.
Harden was composed. He was sensible. He let the sport come to him.
He went into halftime with 20 factors on six-for-10 taking pictures, together with 4 for six on threes. He didn’t flip over the ball as soon as.
Nonetheless, Harden made solely two of seven photographs within the second half and completed with 28 factors. He made up for Leonard’s absence within the first half however not the second.
The Clippers know what, or who, they’re lacking. They acknowledge their state of affairs.
“Kawhi, clearly, is the piece we do want if we plan on successful all of it and attending to the place we wish to get to,” George mentioned. “However we’re going to carry it down till he’s able to return and we really feel comfy with the place we’re at.”
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Dylan Hernández is a sports activities columnist with the Los Angeles Instances. Earlier than that, he was the Dodgers beat author. Hernandez grew up in South Pasadena and graduated from UCLA in 2002, after which he labored on the San Jose Mercury Information for 5 years.
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