LOS ANGELES – When it comes to big takeaways from Wednesday’s 123-93 pounding of the Los Angeles Clippers, the most impressive thing didn’t happen during the Mavericks’ perhaps-soul-crushing victory on the home team’s court.
It came afterward, when the Mavericks, while exuberant, also were grounded.
“It’s not over until you get four wins,” Maxi Kleber said. “They showed how much talent they have. So we got to take the next game very seriously. This game is over and it doesn’t matter if you win by one point or 30 points. You got to come out and play with the right mindset again.”
That chance will come Friday in Game 6 at what will be a rocking American Airlines Center for an 8:30 p.m. tipoff.
If Wednesday night didn’t squash the will to win for the Clippers, it certainly left a mark. The Mavericks are up 3-2 and have won twice in Los Angeles. The Clippers are 1-1 at AAC in the series, but the Mavericks appeared to figure a lot of things out in Game 5, which they took control of in the second quarter and buried the Clippers in the third.
This was more than just a resounding win. The Mavericks worked hard defensively, forced tough three-pointers (the Clippers’ starters, plus key reserves Russell Westbrook and Norman Powell were 6-of-30 from beyond the arc), and had their centers waiting at the rim if the Clips penetrated.
And yet, afterward, it was more about looking ahead than backward.
“Game 5 is over,” Jason Kidd said. “We have to find a way to protect home, understanding both teams have been able to win on the road. So you can’t take anything for granted.
“Game 6 is going to be tough. They got guys over there that can put the ball in the basket. They’ve been down before in the series. We have to look at things we can get better at and get ready to play Game 6.”
Or as Derrick Jones Jr., who joined Kleber as X-factors among the role players, said: “Just get it done. Go home and finish it. We’re not trying to play around. They’re a great team. We just got to go out there and finish the game. Finish them.”
And, there’s a practical matter to consider. It’s not just making sure you get out of this series. Think of the wonders three full days off will do to benefit Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and others who have logged many miles on those legs this season to get to this point.
The conference semifinals against Oklahoma City won’t start until Tuesday, no matter if the Mavericks and Clippers go six or seven games.
Might as well end it in six.
“We want to take advantage of the home court obviously,” Kleber said. “We don’t want to come back here and deal with the crowd here. We saw what happens if we don’t come out with the right mindset. There’s nothing to celebrate yet. We need one more win.”
Here’s our other takeaways from the blowout win Wednesday:
We saw Kleber’s breakthrough coming: At the Mavericks’ Wednesday morning walkthrough, mavs.com sat down with Kleber to talk about his role with different lineups. What we ended up talking about was his shooting and how the break between the end of the regular season and the playoffs allowed him to get plenty of shots up in an empty gym. He had finished the regular season hitting just 12-of-36 three-pointers from March 1 to the final game. While 33.3 percent shooting isn’t terrible, it’s not what Kleber expects of himself. In the playoffs, he’s 10-of-18 (55.6 percent). He had 15 points in Game 5 after scoring just 15 in the first four games combined. “I think a little break helped,” Kleber said. “I was able to get in the gym, get reps up. I was dealing with my foot before. That’s not an excuse, but it was good to get the time to work on my shot. I know I’m going to get those shots. I just got to keep shooting them.” In addition to Kleber, Jones was an absolute catalyst at both ends of the court for the Mavericks. He had 12 points, but more important were his three blocked shots as he was huge when it came to defending the perimeter, but also sliding into the paint to help the big men when the Clippers penetrated. “The coach has been stressing that,” Kleber said. “Those guys are too talented to be contained one-on-one. Help the helper, not just the first help.”
Luka lights it up: He’s fighting a sprained right knee and has had nasty congestion from a cold that refuses to go away. That didn’t stop Luka Dončić from rolling up 35 points and 10 assists, along with seven rebounds. He got a verbal round of applause from teammate Kyrie Irving. “I always speak on how much he means to us as a group – the pride he takes in taking care of himself,” Irving said. “When he’s not feeling 100 percent, he’s still going to go out there and play. For me, I enjoy that. I enjoy being around somebody like that that’s going to push themselves and still make an impact on the game and still empty his clip. Even though he’s not feeling well, he’s still able to lead our team in his own way. When he’s being aggressive like that and putting those daggers in every single quarter, it makes a difference for us.” A big difference, clearly.
D-Town crew: As in Defense Town. The Mavericks were on point in building up an insurmountable lead through three quarters. The Clippers never got enough easy looks at the basket to get an offensive spark going. If the Mavericks play defense like this, contesting the threes and rotating to the penetrators, it’s going to push them a long way in these playoffs. No matter how much energy it takes and how much their offensive end might take a back seat, it’s the way they must play. And the results are giving Kidd great ammunition for convincing every player of that.
X: @ESefko
Share and comment