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The LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks will clash in the first round of the 2020-21 NBA Western Conference playoffs in a rematch of their last season's postseason clash.
This season as well, the 4th-seeded LA Clippers will have home-court advantage over the 5th-seeded Mavericks. The Dallas Mavericks have scratched and clawed their way to a top-5 finish after a turbulent season. Luka Doncic put up an MVP-worthy campaign to lead his team to another playoff appearance despite the team losing key players to injury.
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2021 NBA Playoffs: How the Dallas Mavericks can avoid a repeat of last year's playoffs
The game against the LA Clippers is the only NBA playoff experience that Luka Doncic has. In that postseason clash last year, Doncic sunk a game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 4 to tie the series at two games apiece. Even though the Dallas Mavericks fell short over seven games, Doncic was incredible and has a shot at redemption this year.
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Many analysts and pundits felt the Dallas Mavericks had a shot at beating the LA Clippers last season. However, Kristaps Porzingis' ejection and subsequent injury doused their hopes, but this season, the Mavericks have a real shot at beating the Clippers, as Porzingis is healthy and in good form.
The Dallas Mavericks will also take confidence from winning their regular-season series against the LA Clippers 2-1. On that note, let's take a look at five things the Dallas Mavericks could do to beat the LA Clippers in a 7-game series
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#1 Win the rebounding battle
The Dallas Mavericks must dominate the boards against the LA Clippers. The Clippers aren't a very good rebounding team, as they were ranked only 17th in total rebounds and 21st in offensive rebounds during the regular season.
They have several players who average around six boards per game, but the team doesn't have a bonafide rebounder. Serge Ibaka recently returned after nearly a two-month break, but he has not yet recovered his mojo, which could play into the Mavericks' hands.
The Dallas Mavericks aren't a good rebounding team either. But the return of Kristaps Porzingis should help them in cleaning up the glass, as he averaged almost nine rebounds per game during the regular season.
The Dallas Mavericks will need to collectively fare better in rebounding in the playoffs to take out the star-studded LA Clippers team.
#2 Defend Paul George better
It is no secret that Paul George has underwhelmed in the playoffs. His numbers have consistently gone down in the postseason, and it gets easier to guard him come the playoffs.
For whatever reason, Paul George has not been able to recreate his regular-season explosiveness in the playoffs. Last season against the Mavericks, George averaged 35% from the field and 27% from the three-point range while recording only 14, 11, 9 and 15 points in Games 2, 3, 4 and 6.
Paul George is yet to come alive in the postseason. He is coming off one of his best shooting seasons in years and would look to redeem himself in the playoffs. The Dallas Mavericks must play close attention to George, as the player tends to get out of rhythm after missing a few shots. So by better defending George, the Mavericks could hurt the Clippers down the stretch.
#3 Win the three-point battle
The Dallas Mavericks only ranked 18th in 3P% during the regular season, while the LA Clippers ranked top. However, the Clippers are ranked first because they do not attempt many threes. As a team, they attempted around 35 threes per game, which was only 14th-best in the league, while the Dallas Mavericks were sixth in three-point attempts.
If the Mavericks protect the perimeter better and do not allow as many threes as they usually do, the LA Clippers could face a tough time in a seven-game series. The Mavericks need to attempt quality looks from beyond the arc and cash in on their open attempts.
They average more threes per game than the LA Clippers, so if they marginally improve their 3P%, they will fancy their chances of beating the Clippers.
#4 Dominate the paint
The LA Clippers have starter Serge Ibaka injured, while they have Ivica Zubac and DeMarcus Cousins as the backups. So the Dallas Mavericks will need every big man in the paint during rotations, be it Kristaps Porzingis, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber or Boban Marjanovic. They will need to clog up the inside and take away easy buckets and rebounds from the Clippers.
The Clippers ranked 28th in points in the paint during the regular season, so the Mavericks need to keep the Clippers off the inside and force them to take tough shots. Kristaps Porzingis will have to attempt fewer threes and get in the low post for some damage. A 7-footer should not be guarding the perimeter, to begin with, at least not in a half-court setting in the playoffs.
#5 Maximize Luka Doncic's production
Luka Doncic is absolutely key to the Dallas Mavericks' hopes in this series, as he is their key player.
ESPN Analyst Stephen A Smith called Doncic the most valuable player of the series due to his ability to run the Dallas Mavericks offense. Without Doncic, the Mavericks do not stand a chance to beat the LA Clippers in a 7-game series.
He improved in most categories in the playoffs and was a walking triple-double, who averaged 31 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.7 assists, along with 1.2 steals per game.
But the other Mavericks players on the roster will need to play off Luka Doncic. He is excellent in finding the open man, and his kick-out passes are almost always on the money.
Doncic has a penchant for turning the ball over a lot, so he will need to keep that in check. The team needs to collectively ensure Doncic doesn't get into foul trouble, while coach Rick Carlisle will need to manage Doncic's minutes efficiently.
Luka Doncic averages around 34 minutes per game, but the Dallas Mavericks will likely need to see him around 40 minutes on the floor against the Clippers.
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