Even in the absence of Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers clinched a 109-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of their Western Conference round 1 showdown at the Crypto.com Arena on Monday (PHL).
Demonstrating resilience without their top scorer, the Clippers, led by James Harden and Paul George's perimeter prowess and Ivica Zubac's dominance in the paint, surged to a 34-22 lead after the first quarter.
🚨HARDEN BEATS THE BUZZER🚨 pic.twitter.com/g8vJI1CmFm
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 21, 2024
The Mavericks struggled immensely in the second quarter, mustering only eight points and trailing by a substantial 56-30 deficit at the break.
By halftime, Harden (20 points) and Zubac (12 points) had combined to outscore the entire Dallas team (30 points).
Despite a brief resurgence from the Mavericks, narrowing the gap to 90-75 with 8:22 remaining in the game after a three-pointer by Luka Doncic, Dallas failed to regain control.
George's consecutive baskets and a three-pointer, along with a downtown bucket from Terance Mann, propelled the Clippers to a commanding 100-78 lead with 6:11 left.
PG goin' back-to-back-to-back 🪣’s pic.twitter.com/dbdfvQcWpC
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 21, 2024
Harden finished the game with 28 points, while Ivica Zubac recorded a playoff career-high of 20 points and 15 rebounds.
George contributed 22 points, while Mann and Russell Westbrook each added 13.
Doncic, on the other hand, led the Mavericks with 33 points and 13 rebounds, supported by Kyrie Irving's 31 points.
Apart from Doncic and Irving, the Mavericks' remaining players contributed a total of 33 points, shooting a combined 10/36 from the field and 3/15 from beyond the arc.
P.J. Washington was the sole player to reach double figures with 11 points, while Derrick Jones Jr. remained scoreless despite starting. Daniel Gafford only managed three points.
Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Wednesday (PHL time) in Los Angeles.
