The Dallas Mavericks may not have won their playoff debut against the heavily favored Los Angeles Clippers, but they freed themselves up pretty well in the heat of the moment. Despite Kristaps Porzingis’ controversial outburst in the third quarter and an early injury to Luka Doncic, Dallas maintained a double-edged lead at one point and kept the game competitive until the fourth quarter. However, the Clippers pulled through the end, 118-110, due to their superior depth and an unbelievable night of their superstars. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 56 Clippers points.
But when one of the evenings stood out, it was Luke. The Dallas sophomore set the record for most points in a playoff debut with 42 on 13-of-21 shots, and the Mavericks needed one each. They scored just 46 points in almost half an hour after Porzingis was sent off. The Mavericks needed Doncic to be a superstar last night, and he more than got through. With Porzingis returning for Game 2, Dallas should feel good about his chances against the Clippers for the rest of the series.
