Game 7 in any sport is usually a rock ‘em, sock ‘em affair. And that’s exactly what Dallas forward/center Kristaps Porzingis is expecting when the Mavericks face the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on the road at STAPLES Center.
Porzingis said: “Sunday is going to be a war.”
As far as what the Mavs need to do in Game 7 that they didn’t do during the heartbreaking 104-97 loss in Game 6 on Friday night at American Airlines Center, Porzingis said: “I’m not sure. I’ll leave that to the coaches and the coaching staff to figure out the adjustments we need to make and we’ll go from there. I’ll do my part.”
Porzingis finished Friday’s game with seven points and five rebounds, and was 3-of-7 from the field in 31 minutes. He hopes to contribute more on Sunday.
“I’m just trying to make an impact in the things that I can on the defensive end and help the team in whatever way I can,” Porzingis said. “The shots were good looks, decent looks. It is what it is.”
Porzingis has been used more as a floor spacer for most of this series, and that’s a plan he’s trying to adapt to.
“Obviously it’s not easy, but I accepted that that’s what the team is asking me to do and I’m willing to do whatever,” Porzingis said. “Whatever is necessary for us to go forward.
“It’s not a psychological battle with myself. I’m just out playing and doing the things that the team is asking me to do and trying to do the best I can.”
Coach Rick Carlisle has praised Porzingis for being patient and accepting the new role he has in this series against the Clippers.
“This comes down to what’s best for our team,” Carlisle said. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with KP during this series.
“Going into Game 4 we had one strategy that was completely different than what we had going into Game 5. He’s been great accepting what our strategy was as a team – locking into and being professional about it.”
Porzingis is averaging 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in this series and is 28-of-61 from the field for 45.9 percent. His best game came in Game 2 when he collected 20 points and four rebounds and was 8-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point arc.
“What this always comes down ‘getting him going,’ does that manifest in the best things for the team with their lineup, the fact that they’re putting a difficult defender on him and those kinds of things,” Carlisle asked. “We’ll look at it heading into Game 7.
“I’ll tell you this, I love the way he’s playing. I would love to get him more open shots and we’ll look to do that in Game 7 for sure.”
Porzingis believes the Mavs have the capability to bounce back from the disappointing loss in Game 6. He compared it to what happened when the Clippers defeated the Mavs in Dallas in Game 4, 106-81.
Following that loss at AAC, the Mavs went to Los Angeles and beat the Clippers in Game 5, 105-100.
“We’ve (bounced back and won) before already in this series,” Porzingis said. “They beat us by almost 30 points in Game 4 and we bounced back and we won Game 5.
“Obviously it’s not going to be easy, but that’s where the fun is and we’re looking forward to the challenge. They’re feeling good and we feel like we can beat them, so we’ll see who’s right and who’s wrong.”
Redick still contributing: He may not have suited up in any of the games in this playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. But JJ Redick still has been a very important player for the Dallas Mavericks.
“He’s been a very big help ever since he got here,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s a different kind of personality.
“Our guys respect the fact that he’s played over 100 playoff games. It gets great credibility because of the career that he’s had, and the longevity. And he’s into it, even though he’s not playing.”
The Mavs acquired Nicolo Melli and Redick on March 26 in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for James Johnson, Wes Iwundu and a second-round draft pick.
But in just 13 games with the Mavs, Redick, who turns 37 on June 24, has averaged 4.4 points in 11.3 minutes. He also hasn’t played since the May 11 game against Memphis – initially with soreness in his right heel and now with a right Achilles injury.
However, that hasn’t prevented the 15-year veteran guard from making some major contributions to the Mavs.
“He’s into the meetings,” Carlisle said. “During timeouts and huddles he’s getting little bits of information to guys that he thinks is relevant, and he understands that in this kind of situation there’s a lot of intensity and a lot going on.
“He has a good feel for the kinds of things that guys need to hear in the heat of the moment. Certainly, the fact that he’s unable to play, he is giving us some very positive things.”
Twitter: @DwainPrice
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