Mavs Survive To Take Pivotal Game 5!; 76ers, Hawks, and Jazz Advance! 6.2.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball and we have 4 games on the schedule tonight, all Game 5’s.
(8) Washington Wizards vs (1) Philadelphia 76ers
Washington Wizards (1-4)
This team needs to give their star backcourt duo a lot more help heading into next season.
Philadelphia 76ers (4-1)
No Embiid, no problem. The 76ers win and advance to the 2nd round. They will be facing the Hawks in the 2nd round. Hopefully Embiid is healthy for that. Tore his meniscus in his knee, but the injury doesn’t seem to be too serious as he’s currently being considered day-to-day. Hopefully he can come back healthy and then stay healthy for once.
(5) Atlanta Hawks vs (4) New York Knicks
Atlanta Hawks (4-1)
The Hawks (fittingly) dominated Game 5 for the series win, their first since 2016. The Hawks played so well in this series and controlled the Knicks. After Game 2 of this series, it was all Atlanta. The Hawks take on the 76ers in the 2nd round of the postseason.
New York Knicks (1-4)
The Knicks kind of deserved this. Spitting on Trae Young, talking a lot of trash, just to get your butts handed to you by the Hawks. The Knicks need a lot of offense this offseason. Julius Randle struggled in his first playoff appearance and really only D-Rose came to play. The Knicks are going to have to get a lot better next season.
(8) Memphis Grizzlies vs (1) Utah Jazz
Memphis Grizzlies (1-4)
The Grizzlies have a bright future. They are young, they are deep, great coaching staff. They are going to be good in the West for a long time.
Utah Jazz (4-1)
Easy win, Jazz move onto the 2nd round. If this team makes 3’s like they did in not only this game, but the whole series? Look out. Utah faces a tough 2nd round matchup against either the LA Clippers or Dallas Mavericks.
(5) Dallas Mavericks vs (4) LA Clippers
Dallas Mavericks (3-2)
I don’t know how the Mavs won this game. They ended the 3rd on a 22-5 run and they led by 16 to start the 4th. The game was right there for the taking. But the bench blew the lead and Luka didn’t get much rest. Luka couldn’t hit shots as the Clippers slowly came back into the game, down one with 39.5 seconds left. Dallas lost all their momentum and it seemed they would blow this game.
Doncic turned it over and here came LA. But it takes a little luck to win sometimes. Batum missed a layup and the Mavs got the rebound. Hardaway hit 2/2 free throws, Mavs up 3. Then Dorian Finney-Smith played perfect defense on Kawhi and he air-balled, giving Dallas the win, putting LA on the brink of elimination.
The first half was Luka and everybody else. Luka had 27 points and 8 assists on 10/19 shooting, 5/7 from 3. Dallas was up two solely because of him. He wasn’t getting much help. Dallas’s defense was a lot better because of one reason; Boban. The meme was actually helping the Mavs shut down LA. With Kleber in the starting unit, Kawhi and PG attacked him relentlessly.
While Dallas did lose a wing defender, Boban was better at just taking up space. If Kawhi was posted up on the right side, Boban could just stand on the block and stand there. The Clippers weren’t hitting 3’s and Boban did his job. The Mavs first half was good, but their 3rd was explosive.
Luka was 6/10 in the 3rd with 13 points. Dallas scored 13 in the 3rd but the offensive rebounding was big. 7 offensive rebounds in the 3rd that led to seven 2nd-chance points. The Clippers also had 5 turnovers as the Mavs turned up the heat defensively. The Mavs ended the 3rd on a 22-5 run as it was a repeat of Games 1 and 2. They were rolling, leading by 16 early on in the 4th.
But without Doncic, LA cut into the lead. Dallas re-inserted Luka and the bleeding didn’t stop. The Mavs kept chipping away, the Mavs doing the bare minimum to keep a lead. Dallas scored just 4 points in the first half of the 4th as LA had all the momentum. But Dallas found a way to win.
They forced 4 more turnovers in the 4th, including a couple of big ones. Paul George turned the ball over and it led to a Hardaway 3, Mavs up 7. He then missed and that led to a Porzingis 3, Mavs up 10. The lead got down to one with under a minute to go, but the Mavs got lucky.
Luka turned it over and Terrence Mann got the ball and drove to the rim. After absorbing the contact, it seemed he could have shot the layup, no problem. Instead he passed it to Batum who was stone-walled at the rim and the Mavs hit their free throws to win. Takes a little luck sometimes.
Luka was incredible and while his help offensively was meh, his guys hit big shots in the 4th. The Mavs defense was very good with Boban on the floor and they forced turnovers. Biggest game of the year and Dallas wins, taking a 3-2 series lead heading back “home” to try and end the series in 6 games.
Luka had 42 points, 8 rebounds, and 14 assists. He was 17/37 from the field as he was the only guy doing anything on offense. He was just 1/8 in the 4th but he was great again in those first 3 quarters as we are truly witnessing the next generational superstar.
Hardaway had 20 points, but he was 6/19 from the field. Finney-Smith was 2/9. Porzingis was 3/6. 3/6? 6 shots? I don’t know why Dallas has any reason to keep him after this season. Marjonovic was solid, making an impact defensively. This game was ugly, but Dallas won because of their superb defense. They had 11 points off turnovers and 11 2nd chance points.
The Mavs won this game and now they have the chance to upset the Clippers again, on their homecourt.
(Also, Luka made 17 shots and had 14 assists = 31 field goals accounted for by Luka. The Mavs had 37 in total. 31/37 field goals (84%) came from Luka. That’s insane).
LA Clippers (2-3)
Come on, man. I thought you guys figured things out, how to win. Sure Boban starting was a curveball, but you got so many open 3’s and you just missed. Kawhi, PG, and Morris all struggled and it just seems like they aren’t even trying to guard Luka. Nobody can do it one-on-one. Send multiple bodies, make other people beat you. I don’t know what’s so hard about that.
The Clippers went back to isolation ball in the 3rd and fell down by a lot, 16 points to start the 4th. They made a comeback but came up short thanks to turnovers and Terrence Mann’s inability to look at the rim.
I’m not going over stats, because it’s just the same things with this team. Dallas is nothing without Luka. You have two of the best two-way wing players in the league and a far better team. But here you are, risking a first-round exit. I’m at a loss for words. It’s simple how to beat the Mavs. Play small ball, which they have been doing. But that’s step one. Blitz him, double him, get the ball out of his hands. He’s a killer. Give him the respect of being a killer.
If Boban is in the game, suck him in and get open shots, swing the ball. Get out in transition and for the love of god; rebound the ball and don’t turn it over. But I don’t know if LA wins this series. Nothing they’ve done has worked fully and they’re running out of options. Maybe urgency kicks in for Game 6, but that crowd is going to be electric. Even if this goes to Game 7, can the Clippers even win at home?
Nobody has won at home and if that trend follows, Mavs in 7. This team has the talent to win a title. But yet they just don’t take advantage. Let’s just see how to look to try and win this series.
What Are Your Thoughts From The 4 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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