Three takeaways from a LA Clippers victory over the Dallas Mavericks
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A big problem for Dallas all night was the costly turnovers that they got forced into by a very attack-heavy LA defense. Whether the handler got caught sleeping or an errant pass got picked off, the ball was finding its way into the hand of a Clipper, especially Paul George.
PG was on top of the ball all night and ended the night with a team-leading 6 steals. Maurice Harkless followed behind him with 2 steals, so the majority of it was in the hands of Paul. In total, the Mavs turned the ball over 20 times in comparison to the Clippers’ 14 turnovers. It’s a refreshing and encouraging mark for this team that has been in trouble with turnovers as of late.
Even though their pressure was great and provided them with plenty of steals, one downside to their play was the number of free throws they gave away. Some of them are justified in stopping a rush up the court after not converting on a rebound, but others inside the paint are avoidable and regrettable. They got very lucky with who they fouled considering that Porzingis was only 4-8 at the line, but this game would have been an even bigger blow-out if they didn’t allow Doncic to go 14-16 at the line.
The free throws didn’t kill LA, however, so the main takeaways from the defense were their handling of a tough Dallas offense and the pressure that they brought to create turnovers. Just as important as the defense last night was the offense, and they shined bright for another good takeaway.