When Paul George went down late in the Clippers’ 101=100 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday night, it appeared that his season could be over, and the Clippers’ chances of winning an NBA title were over.
However, the Clippers got some decent news on Wednesday. According to the team, George underwent imaging that revealed a sprained right knee. He will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks.
This season, George is averaging team-best 23.6 points to go along with 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists per contest.
If the Clippers(38-35), who are currently the fifth seed in the West, continue to be one of the top six teams, the NBA playoffs would begin the weekend of April 15-16, so George could be back just in time for the playoffs; again, the Clippers got some good news on Thursday.
The last time the Cavs played a depleted team at home, they lost to the Golden State Warriors, who sat four of their five starters.
On Sunday night, they had another depleted squad coming to town, the Los Angeles Clippers, who had defeated the Hawks in Atlanta the night before.
Los Angeles(28-25) was without Kawhi Leonard(injury management), Paul George(right knee soreness), and Reggie Jackson(Achilles soreness), and this time, the Cavs took advantage of it.
Cleveland(31-21), who had five players in double figures, led from start to finish and by as many as 40 points, and they defeated the Clippers 122-99 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Clippers.
The Great:
Cedi Osman had a career-high 29 points(11/13 FG, 7/7 3-PT FG) off the bench. Sixteen of his 29 points came in the fourth when the game was well in hand, but still, an excellent performance from Osman. Ironically, Osman, who played for the Turkish national team, did all this on “Turkish Heritage Night” at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Darius Garland had 16 points and 10 assists. This is Garland’s second straight double-double.
Jarrett Allen had 15 points and eight rebounds, and he made this list because he hit his first three-pointer of the season and the first since November 2021.
First Half: This game was over at halftime. Cleveland led 64-34 at the half. In that first half, the Cavs shot 57% from the field and 53% from deep. The Cavs led by as many as 35 in the first half and cruised from there.
Not So Great:
You lead by as many as 40 and win by 23. Life is all great!
Bottom Line:
Cleveland handled their business. Nothing more, nothing less. Sidenote: It has to be frustrating for fans to pay a bunch of money for tickets and not see their favorite NBA stars. Cavs fans have not seen Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard this season, essentially due to rest. That’s unfair to the fans, and something should be done.
What’s Next:
The Cavs continue their three-game homestand on Tuesday against the Heat.
Best of the Rest:
-The Clippers had six players in double figures as Brandon Boston Jr led the way with 24 points off the bench.
-Donovan Mitchell, who returned after missing two games with a groin injury, scored 11 points for the Cavs.
-Back to Osman, According to Cavs Notes, Osman is just the third player in team history to finish a game a perfect 7-7 or better from three(Kyrie Irving (7-7, 3/12/15) and Mo Williams (7-7, 11/28/09).
In addition, on Sunday, Osmam moved up to number six in threes made in team history.
-Kevin Love(back) missed his third straight game.
The Los Angeles Clippers have officially re-signed free agent Kawhi Leonard, the team announced on Thursday.
According to Yahoo’s Chris B. Haynes, it’s a four-year contract that includes a player option worth a reported $176 million.
The 10-year veteran became a free agent after he opted out of his deal earlier this month.
“Kawhi is a transcendent player and a relentless worker who improves himself every day,” said Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. “We share many of the same goals, which include a long-term relationship. This agreement marks another important moment for our franchise and our fans, as we strive to create a championship-caliber organization where players find the success and fulfillment they seek. We’re eager to continue building with Kawhi. For now, we will do whatever we can to support him in his recovery from injury. We look forward to seeing him back where he wants to be, on the court with his teammates.”
Leonard, who averaged 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 steals, missed all of the Western Conference finals due to a partially torn right ACL that he suffered against the Jazz in the second round.
The 30-year-old Leonard signed with the Clippers as a free agent after winning a championship with the Raptors in 2019.
Getting the five-time All-Star back is huge for the Clippers. If Leonard was healthy, Los Angeles might have won a championship last season, so with Leonard back, expect Los Angeles to be a championship contender next season.
Clippers F Kawhi Leonard underwent surgery to repair a partial tear of his right ACL, the team announced on Tuesday.
According to the team, the surgery was a success, and there is no timetable for his return.
Leonard, 30, injured his knee against the Jazz in Game 4 of their second-round series and would miss the rest of the playoffs.
The nine-year veteran can opt out of his contract this summer and become a free agent.
This season, Leonard, who signed with the Clippers in 2019 after winning a championship with the Toronto Raptors, averaged 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
League MVP Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and Luka Doncic were named to the 2020-21 All-NBA First Team, the league announced on Tuesday.
Antetokounmpo was the only player to receive All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots, earning his third consecutive First Team selection and fifth All-NBA Team honor overall. Jokic, the first player to be named the NBA MVP as a member of the Nuggets, received 99 First Team votes to make the First Team for the second time in the last three seasons. Curry, who averaged an NBA-leading 32.0 points this season, received 98 First Team votes in his fourth selection to the First Team and seventh All-NBA Team honor overall.
Leonard was voted to the All-NBA First Team for the third time and earned his fifth All-NBA Team selection. The 22-year-old Doncic has been selected to the All-NBA First Team for the second season in a row. He is the first player to make the All-NBA First Team at least twice in his first three NBA seasons since Tim Duncan (three times from 1997-98 – 1999-2000).
The 2020-21 All-NBA Second Team consists of Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
The 2020-21 All-NBA Third Team is composed of Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, Clippers forward Paul George, Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, and Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving.
James has extended his league record for most All-NBA Team selections to 17, including a record 13 selections to the First Team, three to the Second Team, and one to the Third Team. Paul has been voted to the All-NBA Team for the 10th time, the second-most among active players behind James.
This is the sixth All-NBA Team selection for Lillard and George, the fourth for Gobert and Butler, and the third for Embiid and Irving. Randle and Beal have each been selected to the All-NBA Team for the first time.
The Dallas Mavericks season ended against the Los Angeles Clippers for the second straight year in the first round of the playoffs. This time, the Mavericks fell to the Clippers in 7 as they lost 126-111 at Staples Center on Sunday.
Despite the loss, the Mavericks did make improvements. Last season, they were the seventh seed in the Western Conference. However, this season, they were the fifth seed in the West. Last season, they lost to the Clippers in the first round in six. This season, they lost to Clippers in seven.
Also, Luka Doncic, who had 46 points, 14 assists, and seven rebounds on Sunday, is becoming one best players in basketball. In the regular season, Doncic, 22, averaged 27.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game.
However, as the great ones do, they up their game in the playoffs. Doncic averaged 35.7 points, 10.2 assists, and 7.9 rebounds per game in this series against the Clippers. Also, according to mavstats, Doncic accounted for 33.7% of Dallas’ points in the series, the highest percentage in any series in Mavs history (previous record: Dirk’s 32.2% vs. DEN in 2009 West Semifinals).
According to his head coach Rick Carlisle, Doncic’s performance in this series solidifies him as a top-five player in the NBA.
“Even before this series started, I think he’s proven he’s a top-5 player in the world,” Carlise said after the game. “This series certainly validates that. And we’ve just got to keep building the team around him…Luka is an amazing player. I don’t think there’s anybody that would dispute that.”
Kawhi Leonard added on Doncic: “Oh, man, you know, he did everything. I don’t know how many 40-point games he had; I believe three, three, or four. You know, shooting it very efficiently from three for sure off the dribble shots. You know, just doing it all for his team. You know he’s a great player, and you’ll see him for many years to come. He plays at his own pace, and he makes it look easy out there.”
Doncic was the best player in this series, and If he continues at this pace, he could very well be the best in the NBA.
For the first time in NBA playoff history, the road team has won the first six games of a series as the Clippers defeated the Mavericks 104-97 in Game 6 at American Airlines Center to even up their best-of-seven first-round series at three.
Both teams have won three straight on the road, and Game 7 is Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles.
The biggest reason we will have a Game 7 is the play of Kawhi Leonard. The two-time NBA Finals MVP led the Clippers with a postseason career-high 46 points on 18-25 shooting, including 5/8 from three-point range. Leonard had 29 points in the second half, including 17 points in the third quarter.
“Like I said, I didn’t want to go home,” Leonard said after the game. “I had to assert myself into the game. My teammates found me. I got some open looks and knocked them down. I just kept going from there. I stayed in trust with my teammates.”
Clippers head coach Ty Lue added on Leonard: “Great players perform in big moments. He was taking the challenge, guarding Luka [Dončić] the whole game. I thought our coverage was great. He played 42 minutes and guarded their best player, who is a hell of a player, for the whole game. That just shows you who Kawhi Leonard is.”
Leonard was a force on Friday night, which Mavs star Luka Doncic, who had 29 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and a career-high four steals in Game 6, acknowledged after the game.
“He destroyed us,” Doncic said about Leonard. “That’s what it is. He had a hell of a game. That’s what he does. He had a hell of a game.”
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle added on Leonard: “The fact that he had the energy offensively to hit those shots down the stretch — the majority of which were very difficult — is something to behold.”
It’s win or go home, and Carlisle expects his team to be ready for Game 7.
“So, we’re headed for Game 7,” he said. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for our team. I don’t know if any of the guys in our locker room other than maybe [JJ] Redick have been in a Game 7. We’ll be excited, and we’ll be ready.”
Doncic added: “It is Game 7. It doesn’t matter where you are. You have to leave everything on the court. That’s it. It is Game 7.”
Usually, you favor the home team in a Game 7, but clearly, this is not your typical series and based on how this series has played out, maybe you favor the Mavericks. Who knows, but one thing is sure, it’s probably going to be fun.
Notes:
-Paul George had 20 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks tonight for Los Angeles in Game 6.
-The Mavericks welcomed their largest crowd of the season to American Airlines Center, with 18,324 fans in attendance on Friday night.
-With his father, five-time All-Star Tim Hardaway Sr. in attendance, Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23 points on 9-19 shooting. Hardaway Jr. now has 20+ points in four of the six games in this series.
-Doncic ranks second in the NBA this postseason amongst all scorers with 34.0 ppg, only slightly behind Portland’s Damian Lillard (34.3 ppg).
-Kristaps Porzingis had seven points and five rebounds on Friday night, and despite not being a focal point of the Mavs’ offense, Porzingis is trying to stay positive.
“As you said, I am just trying to make an impact with what I can on the defensive end and helping the team however I can,” he said. “I got decent looks tonight. It is what it is. Sunday is going to be a war, so we have to be prepared.”
When you go on the road to start a playoff series, the goal is to get at least one, and on Saturday in Los Angeles against the Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks did just that.
Behind a triple-double from Luka Doncic, who had 31 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds and Tim Hardway Jr’s. 21 points, the Mavericks defeated the Clippers 113-103 in Game 1 of their first-round series.
Game 2 is on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
Doncic scored 21 of his 31 points in the first half as the Mavericks led 60-55 at halftime. Dallas maintained that lead in the third and led 86-80 after three quarters. Los Angeles would take their first lead since the second quarter early in the fourth, but Dallas would take the lead for good when Dorian Finney-Smith, who had 18 points, hit a three with just under three minutes left in the game to put Dallas ahead 103-100.
“I just know, again, they’re going to send two guys at Luka, and we’ve just got to be ready to shoot,” Finney-Smith, who made four threes against the Clippers, said after the game. “Most times in the game, people take the ball out of L.D.’s(Doncic) hands, and I just know us four have got to be ready to shoot.”
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle was happy with the team’s effort on Saturday.
“Obviously, it’s an important game for us,” Carlisle said. “It’s a great effort, great win. Start to the game was important, gave us momentum… When they came back and took the lead in the second half, we really exhibited great poise, and we stayed aggressive. That’s what you got to do in a playoff series.”
Back to Doncic, he was held to one point in the fourth quarter as the Clippers tried to get the ball out of his hands, which he discussed after the game.
“I mean, they were double-teaming, first of all, on every possession,” Doncic said. “My legs were kind of like sore, but we won the game, man. That’s all that matters to me. If I have 0 or 15 points, that’s what’s important.”
Kristaps Porzingis, who was 4/13 from the field and finished with 14 points on Saturday, knows the Clippers will make adjustments in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
“I had an off night tonight, and we were still able to get the win,” he said. “All the guys stepped up. Luka had a huge game. I’m sure they’re going to make some adjustments, but we’re also going to get better, and it’s going to be a fun second game.”
Dallas got a huge win on Saturday, but there is a lot of basketball left in this series. It should be interesting to see how the Mavericks respond in Game 2. Will Dallas be happy with a split, or we’ll play with the same sense of urgency as they did in Game 1? We’ll find out on Tuesday night.
Notes:
-Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 26 points, and Paul George added 23.
-Dallas was undefeated(27-0) in the regular season when leading after the first quarter, and that trend continued in the playoffs as the team led 33-30 after one quarter on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Clippers(29-16) are a very talented team, and they have a lot of guys who can make shots, which they did on Wednesday night against the San Antonio Spurs(22-19).
Los Angeles shot 51%(17-33) from three-point range. Ex-Spur Kawhi Leonard led the way for Los Angeles with a game-high 25 points, and Marcus Morris, who hit five three-pointers, had 20 points as the Clippers defeated the Spurs 134-101 in the first game of their two-game set at AT&T Center.
Los Angeles has now won three straight. The Spurs dropped their third straight at home and their third consecutive game overall.
The Clippers had six guys in double figures on Wednesday night.
DeMar DeRozan led the way for the Spurs with 19 points.
Fortunately for the Spurs, they have an opportunity to avenge this loss on Thursday night as San Antonio plays the third game of their nine-game homestand against the Clippers.
The Clippers were in control of this game from the start and never trailed in this one. Los Angeles led by as much as 35 points in this contest.
When asked what San Antonio can do better to defeat the Clippers on Thursday, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said this:
“We have to do whatever we did tonight a little bit better,” he said.
Spurs Dejounte Murray added: “We were more focused on the obvious two, Kawhi and Paul George. We have to know who’s who on the floor and what they are capable of.”
The first two games of this homestand have been a disappointment for San Antonio, and with this loss, the Spurs dropped to 8th in the Western Conference.
After this poor performance, It should be interesting to see San Antonio’s response on Thursday night.
The Dallas Mavericks(21-18) were looking to avenge Monday’s loss to the Clippers(26-16) on Wednesday night, and behind their All-Star guard Luka Doncic, Dallas defeated the Clippers at home 105-89 in the second of their two-game set with Los Angeles.
Doncic was 16-28 from the field, including 6-11 from three-point range. He also had nine assists, six rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Doncic has now scored 40-plus against the Clippers on three occasions (incl. playoffs), his most against any team.
It was like a playoff game at American Airlines Center on Wednesday night, which Doncic discussed after the game.
“They’re a really good defensive team,” Doncic said about the Clippers. “The past two games were like playoffs.”
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle ran out of words to describe the greatness of Doncic.
“Luka [Dončić] was spectacular,” Carlisle said. “Sometimes, you simply run out of adjectives to describe how good he is. But he was exceptionally good tonight, and we needed every point, every rebound, every assist, and defensively, he was terrific as well.”
Maxi Kleber, who had 12 points for Dallas on Wednesday night, has a lot of confidence when Doncic shoots the basketball.
“Sometimes, when I am on the court, it feels the same way,” he said. “You see him attack the guys, and he takes an easy step back; that looks so simple for him, but every time he shoots it, you think that is cash. He creates a little bit of space, and he doesn’t need much, and he shoots it, and every time the ball goes up, I think it is a basket. Today he just did incredible things. He was scoring on every possession, it felt like. He is a very rare and special talent. I think that was Luka Magic everybody has been seeing all year long here.”
Dallas now travels to Portland to face the Blazers in a two-game set starting on Friday, and according to Josh Richardson, Dallas will be ready.
“It’s my first year in the Western Conference,” he said. “Seeing all these tough opponents every night is tough. It’s a grind. But I think we have the players and the depth to fight through that and to be able to go out and battle.”
Notes:
Paul George led the Clippers with 28 points (5-8 3FG), 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 41 minutes.
Kawhi Leonard had 20 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists for the Clippers. Leonard has scored 20+ points in 21 of his last 22 games.
