LA Clippers: Nic Batum provides off bench in Game 1

LA Clippers forward Nicolas Batum had a real solid performance in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs on Saturday.

Batum tied for the team lead in three-pointers made (3), and came in second in rebounds (7).

The Clippers needed a boost off of the bench, as they didn’t have one of their typical nights shooting the basketball. The Clippers are the best shooting team in the NBA. They aren’t used to getting outshot the way they were on Saturday.

The Dallas Mavericks shot 47.2% from three on 36 attempts Saturday. Uncharacteristically, the Clippers shot 27.5% on 40 attempts from deep.

There were three players, however, who did shoot very well from three in the contest. Patrick Beverley was 2 of 4 from downtown. The other two stepped up off the bench. Those were Rajon Rondo (3  of 4 from three-point range), and Batum (3 of 7 from three-point range).

Batum shot over 40% from three for the second time in his career. This season, he was shooting at a .404 clip from behind the three-point line.

Batum may have come off the bench in Saturday’s game, but he played the fourth-most minutes on the team (32).

Batum, who was 4 for 8 from the field in the contest, also chipped in seven rebounds.

Entering the league in 2008, the 13-year veteran has been a solid player for a long time now. He hasn’t been a part of many deep playoff runs, but this is his seventh trip to the playoffs in his career.

Last making it in 2016, Batum was clearly eager to get back into the mix.

The Clippers struggled in Game 1, but Batum was a nice spark off the bench that the Clippers could very well use going forward in this series.