Harden, George, Zubac lead Clippers to Game 1 win over Mavs

LOS ANGELES – That Dallas Mavericks’ squad that rambled through the NBA with an impressive 16-2 record down the stretch of the regular season was nowhere to be found on Sunday afternoon when it mattered most. And it cost them dearly.

The Los Angeles Clippers walked out of Crypto.com Arena with a 109-97 victory over the Mavs in Game 1 of this best-of-seven Western Conference first-round playoff series.

It was a game that was begging for the Mavs to take charge, especially after Clippers coach Tyronn Lue delivered devastating news for his team less than two hours before tipoff that his leading scorer, Kawhi Leonard, would not play because of inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee.

Instead of the Mavs taking advantage of Leonard’s absence, it was the Clippers who seized the moment, played very aggressive, shot the lights out from three-point range, and led by as much as 29 points in a game they controlled for the majority of the day.

Mavs guard Kyrie Irving said: “When someone like Kawhi, who has a huge presence for their team, does a lot for their team offensively and defensively and isn’t playing, there’s a bit of an adjustment period mentally that you got to get ready, because that means that other guys have to step up. And I think we saw that tonight. Guys were making shots, hitting threes, even though their percentages don’t necessarily reflect them shooting a high percentage.

“We got to tip off our hat for them coming out and hitting us in the mouth in the first quarter and taking care of home court, playing off the crowd and the excitement, and us being unprepared for the physicality in the first 12 minutes. After that we settled ourselves and we got ourselves in the ballgame and we saw some positive things that we can carry over. Psychologically, it was definitely a different mindset going in once we knew that Kawhi wasn’t playing, and as a mature pro you just got to be ready to adjust and adapt. That’s what this game is about.”

Game 2 of this series will be at Crypto.com on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Dallas time before the series shifts to American Airlines Center for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.

The Clippers came out swinging and wanted to show that they can survive even without Leonard, who is their leading scorer. With James Harden and Paul George draining shots from downtown, and Ivica Zubac dominating inside the paint, the Clippers mounted a 34-22 lead after the first quarter.

From there, it all went haywire for the Mavs, who managed to score just eight points on 2-of-21 shooting in the second quarter and trailed, 56-30 at halftime. The 30 points were the fewest the Mavs  have ever scored in the first half of a playoff game.

The Mavs were so out of sorts that by halftime Harden (20 points) and Zubac (12 points) had more points than Dallas (30). Harden collected four three-pointers in the first half, and added three free throws when he was fouled by Maxi Kleber while attempting a three-pointer.

“We expected the Clippers to come out physical and we just didn’t respond in that first (quarter) to their physicality, and I thought in the second half we were a little bit like the team that ended the season with the physicality,” coach Jason Kidd said. “And then again, if we are not making shots, I thought we did a great job of keeping them in that second quarter to 22 points.

“We couldn’t throw it in the ocean. We missed layups, free throws, we missed wide-open shots. But to hold a team that is as talented as that to 22 points is a positive, and that’s what we talked about at halftime.”

Although they got as close as 90-75 with 8:22 remaining following a three-pointer by Luka Dončić, the Mavs never really got a firm grip on the situation in the second half. George converted back-to-back baskets and a three-pointer, and Terance Mann added a bucket from downtown and the Clippers were back up by 22 (100-78) with 6:11 left.

“We were more physical on defense,” said Dončić, referring to the second half. “The second half is the way we should play the whole game, so we got to learn from that.”

The Mavs also have to do something in order to contain Zubac, who was 10-of-17 from the field and finished with 20 points and 15 boards.

“There were guys that came out that were ready to play, and then guys like me for sure that was out there on the floor just running down the floor,” said center Daniel Gafford, who had only three points and no rebounds and was hampered by two early fouls. “I wasn’t able to commit to anything and give anything to the team at the time.

“Most definitely, we have to take that extra step and adjust to the physicality and adjust to what they were trying to do.”

The Clippers went to Zubac early and often, and he delivered, while the Mavs shot just 38.8 percent from the field and were only 10-of-33 from downtown.

“Zubac was big,” Kidd said. “He dominated during Game 1 at the center position. They played to him in the post and we didn’t have an answer.

“We talked about Zubac and the ability that he has when shots go up. Rebounding, we have to make sure that we send two to him, but in the post regardless we have to do a better job of guarding him in the post.”

Harden led the Clippers with 28 points and eight assists. He was 8-of-17 from the field, including 6-of-11 from downtown.

“We were generating really good shots,” Harden said. “I mean, if we could do that over the course of a game. . .we live with the results.

“This is a make or miss league, so if you make shots it obviously makes your job a lot easier. But for us, it was just being engaged. Like, we had a really good week of practice and at the end of the day it’s only one win, so we’ll watch film and be better for Game 2.”

The Mavs are hoping for better results in Game 2 after the Clippers also got 22 points and six rebounds from George, and 13 points from Russell Westbrook. But the Mavs also have to do significantly better at guarding the three-point line, since the Clippers were 18-of-36 from downtown for 50 percent.

“I just got to stay aggressive,” said Dončić, who finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. “That was my bad in the first half. I wasn’t aggressive enough, so I just got to stay aggressive and find the open man.”

Irving finished with 31 points, seven rebounds and two steals, and P.J. Washington added 11 points, seven boards and two steals. But the Mavs missed a golden opportunity in a game Leonard – he’s day-to-day – couldn’t play in Game 1 of this series.

“We were preparing as if he was going to play, obviously, but that shouldn’t change our mentality,” Dončić said.

X: @DwainPrice