LOS ANGELES — The Clippers took a 1-0 series lead with a 109-97 victory over the Mavericks.
Kawhi Leonard was ruled out for the game, so the Clippers needed others to step up.
In Leonard’s absence, James Harden, Ivicia Zubac and Paul George led the way for the Clippers.
Harden scored 28 points and recorded 9 assists. Zubac had 20 points and 15 rebounds. George had 22 points and 6 rebounds.
While the Clippers had three players score 20+ points, it was the defensive intensity that was vital for the team.
“We can’t ease into games, we’ve got to be the physical team from the beginning, and we did that,” James Harden said. “You know how easily they can score basketball, so we wanted to make it as difficult as possible.”
The Clippers defense only allowed 8 points in the second quarter. Dallas only had 30 points at halftime.
The Mavericks also struggled massively to make shots from the field, with 38.8% from the floor.
The three-point shooting also favored the Clippers as Los Angeles shot 50% from beyond the arc. The Mavericks were only 30.3% on three pointers.
Despite the loss, the Mavericks star duo, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 64 points. Doncic had 33 points while Irving scored 31.
The victory gave the Clippers an early series lead in round 1 of the playoffs. The Clippers will look to build on their 1-0 series lead in Game 2.
Game 2 will once again take place in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Clippers must win to keep the home court advantage in the series.
