About last night... Game 4 v Clippers

 

We were all witness to history last night as Luka and the Mavs downed the Clippers 135-133 in OT. In a game where the Mavs were short-handed (KP game-time scratch with a sore knee), Luka was asked to drag Dallas to a win on a bad ankle. He did just that. Doncic dropped 43 points, grabbed 17 boards, and dished 13 assists. A stat line only Charles Barkley and the great Oscar Robertson have come close to. Not only that, but he spearheaded the charge after going down 21. That marks the largest Maverick postseason comeback ever. Doncic capped off his incredible night with a 30-foot stepback to win the game as the clock expired. Luka Magic. 

With KP out, Luka hurt, and Dallas in a 21 point hole, many were counting the Mavs out. Questioning why he would even be out there. I myself was cynical, making fun of myself for being excited about cutting the lead to 12 points. That 13 point deficit turned to 8, then to a 12 point LEAD. The Mavs didn't step off the gas. Trey Burke finished with 25 points, provided great energy, and made timely buckets. Seth Curry, on his birthday, was reliable as ever. He gave the clippers a barrage of points, scoring 15. Although he struggled late in the game (turning it over in the final seconds of regulation), Seth scored his most impressive points by putting Pandemic P in a blender, baiting him into a foul, then calling him a "Bitch ass" as he pointed at him. I bought a Seth jersey on the spot. Happy fucking birthday 30. 

The Mavericks and Clippers both had a chance to win it in regulation. For the Mavericks, they missed shots to extend the lead then turned it over to the Clippers tied at 121 with 24.7 seconds left. For the Clippers, they got the switch they wanted. Hardaway on Leonard, but Leonard couldn't knock the shot down. OT was crazy, the Mavericks went up by two but allowed Morris to nail a corner three to put the Clips up 1 with 9 seconds. The rest is history. 

It's hard to talk about anything but Luka because he was everything last night. It was the best feeling Mavs fans have had since... I dunno 2011? 2014 against the Spurs? It was incredible. Luka added it was "one of the best feelings I've ever had as a player." 

"Big-time players make big-time plays..." Trey Burke said. This team is incredibly confident, knowing they should be up 3-1 right now. "If you don't believe, then you shouldn't be here." has been echoed by Luka and the rest of the Mavs when they are questioned if they have a chance against this heavily favored team. 

Paul George of course had something stupid to say after the game. "To be honest, in hindsight, if I shoot the ball better, this series would be a whole lot different." HINDSIGHT???? Don't think that's hindsight buddy, just an observation. Like, if I was rich then I wouldn't be so damn broke. This dude isn't just bricking shots, he's also smoking layups. PG went 3-14 and only scored 7 points. He has been bad. 

Imagine all of the options Kawhi had this past summer: 

Join Bron and AD in LA- I respect the hell out of him for not doing this. 

Stay in Toronto- Would be incredible to see Toronto compete with a three-headed monster of Kawhi, Spicy P, and Kyle Lowrey. 

Join the current Clippers roster- This would mean keeping Shai and Gallo. Shai has been awesome in these playoffs and is proving himself to be a great 2-way player. This would also mean saving all those draft picks. 

Join Clippers, trade everything for PG- The option he chose. Had to be the worst one in HINDSIGHT. PG really just has no "game". That's why he gets exploited in the playoffs. 

Game 5 is Tuesday, and like THJ says "it's the first to four." This series is far from over, but after a win like that, you know the Clippers ae shook. Now it is a best of 3 series, hopefully, KP feels healthy enough to go Tuesday and we can finally see Dallas's two stars on the court at the same time all game long. For now, lets just bask in the greatness that is Luka Doncic. We are so lucky. 

Some side notes: 

Delon Wright didn't play a single minute. He was our biggest free agent money wise and is unplayable in this series. Not great. 

Zubac has been defending Luka well all series long, let's hope Doc doesn't figure that out. 

Maxi is hesitant on every shot... for good reason too. 

Luka's defense has been spectacular. 

Luka and Harrell have publicly made up. A stupid thing to begin with. What he said was not racist. You cannot say "what if Luka said the same thing but reverse!?!?" It's not the same. Cannot be compared. One is mean, the other has years of racism, pain, and oppression behind it. I am surprised that the league didn't address it, but there was no fine necessary. He got caught on TV, apologized, the end.