The Los Angeles Clippers are riding the momentum of their Game 1 NBA Playoffs victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Los Angeles beat Dallas 109-97 off stout performances from Paul George and James Harden. However, let George tell the story, Harden made the most impact.
Harden finished Sunday’s afternoon game with a team-high 28 points, eight assists, and two rebounds. Moreover, he shot a blazing 54.7% on three-pointers. Paul George sang the former MVP’s praises on his podcast after the game.
“I thought it was Prime James [Harden]. He’s so gifted off the bounce to be able to create space…it’s almost [an] unguardable play when he does his step back: dribble, dribbles, rock you to sleep, step back,” George said on Podcast P with Paul George, presented by Wave Sports+Entertainment.
George did not have his best offensive day Sunday, and thus, was elated that Harden was in the zone. He said that Harden’s three-point barrage allowed him to get more comfortable and focus on helping the team in other areas.
Harden may not be at the ability he was at during his Houston Rockets days, but he remains one of the best scorers in the NBA. George emphasized this and pointed to the star guard’s effective ability to pace the game.
“But I think people do forget of how special he is…he is still one of the best and most elite scorers, and I thought he did a great job of playing at his pace, playing at his speed. He did a great job of finding who he wanted to attack. I thought the crowd was into it. He had the crowd going. I thought those shots brought energy,” George added.
The Clippers will need more of Harden’s energy as they face a fiery Mavericks team ready to bounce back from their Game 1 loss.
Clippers look to recreate incredible energy for Game 2
Los Angeles was on of their game offensively and defensively on Sunday. They shot 46.0% from the field and an incredible 50.0% on three-pointers. In the process, they held the Mavericks under 100 points and took nearly everyone (except Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving) out of the game.
Paul George contributed a much-need 20-point performance in the absence of Kawhi Leonard. Ivica Zubac also stepped up with a pivotal 20-point-15-rebound double-double. If the Clippers can score and play defense the way they did in Game 1, they should be able to take a 2-0 series lead.
Nevertheless, Luka Doncic and his squad will not make things easy. Doncic amassed a team-high 33 points along with 13 rebounds, and six assists in the loss. The superstar guard issued an important request for the Mavs after Sunday’s game:
“We just gotta play like we used to play. Like we played the last 20 games of the season,” Doncic said. “Passing the ball, cutting, ball movement. I think we did a great job the last 20 games. So we just gotta play like that.”
Dallas needs its role players to step up if they want to even the series. The same can be said for the Clippers if they want to extend their lead.
Los Angeles had a red-hot outing in Game 1 of their NBA Playoffs matchup. Can James Harden and company maintain their production for the rest of the series?
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