We knew the first poster of the “play-in” in the East with the opposition between the Bulls and the Hawks. We now have a first playoff series since the Mavericks' victory over the Heat. It's in the Western Conference, and it will pit the Mavericks against the Clippers.
This is the third time since 2020 that the teams have crossed paths, and the Clippers won the first two times, in 2020 in the “bubble”, then in 2021 with home advantage. For PJ Washington, the identity of the opponent has no impact on the group.
“We have a goal, and nothing will stop us. The best thing for us is to stay focused, no matter who we play against,” he announces. “We're always hungry and excited to play. »
Uncertainties remain around this series. There is obviously first the health of Kawhi Leonard, in the infirmary for a few matches, and his presence, or not, will necessarily weigh on the outcome of the series. But before that, it is a question of knowing the team which will have the advantage of the ground. For the moment, the Clippers are 4th but the Mavericks can still get ahead of them. In Dallas, we want to take advantage of the last matches to work.
The preparation has already started
“We set ourselves challenges. We want to show many faces”says Kyrie Irving. “That’s the main focus right now. Arrive in the best possible shape in the coming weeks. Me and some guys in the locker room will have to play a different role. So we have to continue to work on our adaptation, the adjustments, our non-verbal communication and we will be OK”
For Tyronn Lue, preparation “has already started”, and Jason Kidd confirms it. The Mavericks coach explains why it changes a lot of things to already know your opponent.
“The main advantage is the video. The coaches know they don't have to prepare sequences for the other three or four teams. If you are in sixth place, you have to prepare one, two or even three teams (referring to the fight for first place in the West)”explains Jason Kidd. “So that’s the main advantage. The video unit is satisfied because it can just focus on the Clippers. But before getting to the Clippers, we must continue to work on our automatisms and our cohesion. »
In the regular season, the Clippers won the series (2v-1d), but the two teams have not met since the end of 2023. Since then, the Mavericks have changed a lot with the arrivals of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington , and they remain on 16 victories in 18 matches!
