The Mavericks have every right to feel good about their situation coming home for Games 3 and 4 of the first-round playoffs.
They got a split of the two games in Los Angeles against the Clippers and only two other lower-seeded teams can make that claim of winning on the road in the first two games of the postseason (the Indiana Pacers split with the Milwaukee Bucks as did Miami with Boston).
So, how do you think the Clippers should be feeling?
They went 1-1 on their home court and their best player, Kawhi Leonard, was only available for one of them. And he was knocking off a lot of rust in that one.
They lost a heartbreaker in that game. And won a blowout in Game 1.
So what’s going through their brains as the series shifts to American Airlines Center for Friday’s Game 3?
Mostly, they are just glad to have Leonard back. And they know exactly what they are facing with how Game 2 was played.
It was as rugged as a mountainside drive in a four-wheeler.
“I thought they were doing a great job of packing the paint, junking it up,” said Paul George. “They’ve definitely been physical, but that’s playoff basketball, nothing out of the norm.
“They’re doing a great job of packing the paint, I would say. We just got to do a better job.”
Junking it up?
That’s something the Mavericks used to say about opponents before they became a defensive-minded unit in the final two months of the season.
And if that’s what it takes to win the series, you can take it to the bank that coach Jason Kidd will work that strategy as long as it takes and say: bring on the junk.
But there remains the issue of Leonard and whether he will be more effective than the 15-point, seven-rebound showing he had in Game 2.
“He’s as good as it comes at getting his shots, the type of shots he wanna get, and creating and generating good looks, so it’s great to have that back,” George said. “But obviously there is a little adjustment with him coming back, him getting his rhythm, and us playing while having our best player back on the floor with us.
“The more we get back together, the timing and rhythm (will) get back to where it was.”
When Leonard went out with inflammation in his right knee on March 31, the Clippers had won five of seven games, with all five wins coming on the road. They weren’t bad in the three weeks they played without him. But they clearly are more complete with him.
“I’m good,” Leonard said after Game 2. “I feel pretty good in the game, so I’m OK. You know, just taking it one game at a time and trying to win the series. That’s kind of my thought process right now.”
Clippers’ coach Tyronn Lue played Leonard 35 minutes and said he was pleased with the results, other than the outcome.
“Probably just he’s tired,” Lue said. “I thought in the second half, that third quarter, he really got active, a couple of offensive rebounds, putbacks, to kind of get him going.
“As far as getting a rhythm, he’s been getting his shots and things like that. That’s going to come. But I thought defensively, he did some good things, some steals, deflections. It’s just good to have him back on the floor. So we’ll be able to make it work.”
The Clippers now know they will have to win at least once in Dallas if they are going to move on to the conference semifinals against either Oklahoma City or New Orleans.
The Clippers have been a good road team. They actually had a better road record (26-15) than they had at Crypto.com Arena (25-16).
X: @ESefko
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