DALLAS — Assigned to a third playoff matchup in the last five years, the Dallas Mavericks finally overcame the Los Angeles Clippers to move into the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, winning the series four games to two.
Despite dropping the first game of the series to bring back flashbacks of their disappointing series losses in 2020 and 2021, as the series progressed, it became clear that the Mavericks were the superior team from top to bottom.
The Game 6 domination was a fitting bookend, closing the door on the specter that had sent the franchise home throughout Luka Doncic’s career. The Mavs’ playoff performances in the Doncic era have mostly relied on Luka going Super Saiyan that required history-setting games night in and night out to even stand a chance.
For this year’s matchup, however, Doncic needed the help more than ever as he had a quieter series than in his mythical previous editions. The Slovenian sensation was still a reason that Dallas advanced but he had a brutal three-point shooting series, making just 23.9% of his shots from deep, as he labored through a knee problem while still averaging nearly thirty points per game and a near triple-double.
Were the supporting cast like in the previous matchups, the Mavs likely wouldn’t have survived the clamping of Doncic and a poor series from their do-everything superstar would have doomed them. But this year was different because the Mavericks are different and that’s mostly because they are more than just Luka’s heroics.
The 2024 Mavericks were able to survive the first round despite Doncic’s shooting woes against a talented team thanks mostly to their defensive improvements, roster depth, and the addition of an All-NBA teammate that can also carry the load, as Kyrie Iriving proved to be the x-factor. Dallas showed the differences in their roster are real and makes them worthy of contention as now a final four team in the league’s best conference.
Irving’s performance against the Clippers made even the most ardent Kyrie haters soften their stance. As much as his near 50-40-90 shooting percentage in his regular season reminded the league of why he is on the shortlist of top guards in the league, Irving’s series line of 26.5 points on 52% shooting (and 45% from three) tipped the scales in Dallas' favor.
Simply put, with Doncic keeping the cape in the closet, Irving outplayed each of the superstars on the LA side, and elevated his role as the de facto Mavs closer going forward.
While the Irving trade has been completely validated, the addition of P.J Washington, swapped for Grant Williams at the trade deadline, not only changed the chemistry for the better, it provided the Mavs with possibly their best defensive roster in over a decade.
Partnering Washington in the starting lineup with Derrick Jones Jr. on the wing gave the Clippers’ superstars fits. The entire team fed off the energy of a defense that drastically improved down the stretch, from Doncic to rookie rim protector Dereck Lively II.
The 20-year-old Lively shot 75% from the floor for the series as he relieved another midseason acquisition Daniel Gafford for critical minutes to remind Mavs fans of how far the center position and the bench unit has come from even a year ago.
The accumulation of heavy minutes has caused some attrition to the roster, with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber going down with ailments in the opening round. Dallas will miss the shooting prowess of each going forward, and they must plan for how to recover the absence of Kleber’s on-man defense, but the Mavs showed why their reconfigured roster can cause headaches to any team this postseason.
Los Angeles’ thorough defeat now sends the Clippers into offseason purgatory. It is likely that Dallas’ demolition of the defunct superteam was the final nail in the coffin for an aging roster as they look to debut their new arena. James Harden is an unrestricted free agent, though Paul George has a player option to return. But questions abound about Kawhi Leonard’s availability and about how much is left in former MVP Russell Westbrook’s tank.
Dallas, meanwhile, now skips Cancun for a flight to Oklahoma City instead, as they begin a series against the West’s No.1 seed on Tuesday night, with their most recent playoff tormentors slain at last.
Do you think the Mavericks will be able to handle the top seeded Thunder? Share your thoughts with Irvin on Twitter @Twittirv.
