Just considering that the LA Clippers managed to find a way to not let the best offense in the entire league score even 100 points is pretty impressive. The Mavericks scored a total of 422 points in 12 quarters, so their regular offensive capabilities are almost impossible to believe.
Luka Doncic was a big factor in whether the Clippers could take this matchup or not, and he was held to 22 points, 6 assists, and 8 rebounds. According to ESPN, Luka is currently averaging 30.1 points, 9.5 assists, and 10.0 rebounds per game, so he was held below the regular standard. With such a talent on the court, that is the best possible outcome. Other key players like Kristaps Porzingis and Seth Curry were held under twenty points much like the rest of the team, and the luck of the defense shined through to keep them down.
Although the defense was making timely stops and was looking good throughout the game, there was just a bit of luck behind such a low score for Dallas as well. They were shooting 38.0% in the field goals department and a measly 28.9% in the three-pointers department. Again looking to ESPN, their average in field goals for the season is 46.6%, the fourth-best in the league. It was an off-night to end all off-nights to say the very least.
A smaller part of the defense was also all the turnovers that LA was able to force Dallas into, and that is another good takeaway from this one.