In the second half of Game 2, Luka Dončić received a technical foul. However, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd believes that this technical served as motivation for Dončić to elevate his game and lead the team to a 96-93 victory against the Clippers. The Mavericks tied the series at one apiece with this win, and the two teams will meet again in Dallas for Game 3 on April 26.
Kawhi Leonard, who has been out with right knee inflammation for the last nine games, is set to make his return for the Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks. Clippers coach Ty Lue confirmed that Leonard has been cleared to play after participating in non-contact portions of practice last week and completing necessary medical check-ups.
Despite the Clippers’ impressive 18-game stretch after the All-Star break, history suggests that regular season momentum may not translate to playoff success. Over the past 10 playoffs, teams with a higher net rating before the break have a significantly better win-loss record than those with a higher rating after the break.
Verno and KOC analyze the key moments and storylines from Monday night’s NBA playoff games, including Jamal Murray’s game-winner against the Lakers, the Knicks’ gritty win over the Sixers, the Cavs’ new-found identity, the Timberwolves’ potential with Anthony Edwards, Khris Middleton’s importance to the Bucks, the Mavs-Clippers series dynamic, and the Pelicans’ chances against the Thunder.
In the ongoing NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets sensationally defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 101-99 to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their series. The game-winning shot was made by Jamal Murray over Anthony Davis, leaving the Lakers with an uphill battle to stay in the series. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers started their series against the Dallas Mavericks with a 109-97 victory. Terance Mann and Amir Coffey played pivotal defensive roles in containing the dynamic duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, despite their combined 64 points.
