The playoffs are a period of constant adaptation. Each match offers its own truth, possibly contradicted during the next encounter. THE Mavericks and the Clippers can attest to that. During Game 1, the Texans took a half to enter the game, dominated by the physical impact of the Californians and by the presence of Ivica Zubac inside.
For this Game 2, Jason Kidd's players were much better prepared. “1990s basketball at its best”, same book the coach after his team's victory. “It’s the playoffs. If we rewatch the series from the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, we see that the game is slowing down”confirms Kyrie Irving.
Forty-eight minutes of physical basketball
It was not a Bulls – Knicks match from more than 30 years ago, but it is true that Dallas finally responded to the physical challenge of the Clippers. “They hit hard in Game 1, we just wanted to respond. We set the tone in defense, by being aggressive”notes PJ Washington.
The Mavericks committed 23 fouls to limit the Clippers to 37% shooting success and 26% 3-point shooting. However, they are not the best at defending very hard, at entering into a physical battle, even if the arrivals of Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington allow for more arguments in this area.
“Already since March, we have seen the difference in terms of arbitration,” notes Jason Kidd. “There are fewer whistles, the physical level has gone up a notch, so we accept it. We are like that. We are not afraid of the physical challenge. We were a little disappointed after Game 1 in this area. Maybe we were rusty after the days off. There, we played 48 minutes of physical basketball to find a way to win. »
“It’s the playoffs. They let it play, which is a good thing”
Luka Doncic confirms it. “Of course it’s more physical, the referees whistle a lot less. These are the playoffs. They let it play, which is a good thing. It just has to be the same on both sides. »
The Slovenian star, with his 32 points and 9 assists, really hurt the Clippers at the end of the game with his award-winning baskets. Almost all of his scored shots (11/26 on the shoot) were well contested by the Californians, who did not let go of the former Real Madrid prodigy and tried to target him in defense. Except that he held the shock all evening. “I accept it, it puts me in defense too”specifies the All-Star. “If they want to attack me, that’s fine with me. I think I defended well in this match. »
Jason Kidd agrees with that last sentence. “When he plays at this level, others have to raise their level. They know the responsibility of their leader, and that if he defends, they must do the same. He is a leader, not only offensively but also defensively.”concludes the Mavericks coach.
