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2021 NBA Playoffs West 1st Round: #4 LA Clippers vs #5 Waiting for Dwayne to come up w/a thread title name change (LAC wins 4-3)

Who wins?

  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .
www.theringer.com

First Impressions of Every First-Round NBA Playoff Series

Can the Heat get more out of Bam on offense? Is it time to give Deandre Ayton his due? We’ve got one observation for all eight first games from the 2021 postseason’s opening-weekend bonanza.
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How do you solve a problem like Luka?

There is no perfect defense for Luka Doncic. In Game 1, the Clippers threw a lot at him. Early in the game, the Mavericks frequently targeted Ivica Zubac in the pick-and-roll, and the Clippers responded by switching the screen. Doncic roasted Zubac, but it’s hard to blame Zubac because Luka does that against everyone. The Clippers willingly switched anyone onto him. Luka told Patrick Beverley he’s too small after backing him down for a bucket. He created space with ease against Marcus Morris. He punked everyone because that’s what Luka does.

Late in the game, the Clippers started blitzing in the pick-and-roll and even trapped him at times before a screen was set. But they were playing small in the closing minutes with Zubac off the floor. And when Luka was pressured, he found an open man. Doncic and his teammates dissected the defense. Dunks. Open 3s. They got what they needed.

All that raises the question: What now for the Clippers? Well, for one, Dallas might not shoot the lights out again. The Mavericks made 47.2 percent of their 3s. And taking the ball from Doncic does sometimes remove him from the play. He isn’t a big mover off the ball. And the Mavericks aren’t the ’16 Warriors whipping the ball around the floor. There were turnovers, and some sloppy possessions finished with clutch shots. The Clippers should try pressuring Doncic some more, perhaps with Zubac in the game to offer some rim protection.


No defense can pressure and trap all game. It’s exhausting. Players have to rotate off the floor and be locked in mentally. Sometimes the Clippers will have to stay in a base defense and live with Doncic running a pick-and-roll. Blitzing Doncic, rather than just switching the screen, could be effective. In Game 1, the Mavericks shot 1-for-8 with two turnovers when Doncic was pressured with a blitz or a show in the pick-and-roll, according to Second Spectrum.

The problem for the Clippers was that the Mavericks grabbed the offensive board on three of their seven missed shots on those plays. Zubac was off the floor for all of them. The Clippers need size. But the Mavericks will attack size, so it’s a delicate balance for the Clippers with the lineups they put on the floor and the way they defend Luka. There are no easy answers, but after a Game 1 loss, there are still more for the Clippers to give a try.
 
www.espn.com

NBA experts: Big Game 1 takeaways and what comes next

Every Game 1 is in the books. What outcomes and performances were most surprising? Which team is facing a must-win Game 2? Our NBA experts examine a thrilling weekend.
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What's one adjustment you'd like to see one team make after Game 1?

MacMahon: The Clippers tried almost everything to slow down Luka Doncic, except giving Kawhi Leonard the most important defensive assignment in the series. It's time for the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year to prove he is still that type of stopper when the stakes are high. "I think you'll get what you're asking for come Tuesday," Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said, citing Leonard's offensive burden as a reason not to give him the full-time Luka assignment. I understand the logic of putting Leonard on Kristaps Porzingis and switching on screens, but Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was happy to have Porzingis just space the floor and let Doncic dictate which defender he picked on.
 
The team that most needs to win Game 2 is ...

MacMahon: The Clippers don't exactly have a track record of responding well to adversity. So, yeah, they better avoid leaving Staples Center in a 2-0 hole against Dallas. The Clippers arguably had the most pressure on them entering the playoffs after the way they imploded in the bubble against the Nuggets. The Clippers would have a monster on their backs if their playoff losing streak reaches five games.

Young: The Clippers. Going down 1-0 in the series brought back the same feelings and thoughts around the Clippers' bubble collapse last summer, but going down 2-0 would crank that to infinity. The Clippers are trying to recenter and not get tangled in the chatter, but losing both games on their home floor would send a shockwave through the entire organization.
 
Clippers need to go ahead and take Reggie Jackson out the rotation and give Bev all the minutes he can handle

Paul George or Kawhi going to have to guard to Luka this whole series
 
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