Kawhi Leonard says losing Game 2 is a 'learning moment'
No one expected the LA Clippers to have an easy series against the Dallas Mavericks, but no one expected them to struggle as much as they did in Game 2.
From start to finish, the Clippers just couldn't match the Mavericks' energy. Dallas led by as many as 18 points and never trailed, despite the Clippers cutting it close. The Clippers had chances to take the lead, but each of those opportunities were ruined by careless play or silly fouls, catalyzed by rust. Kawhi Leonard looks at this as an opportunity for the Clippers to get better.
Leonard has seen adversity before. Nearly everyone counted out his Toronto Raptors team against both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Milwaukee Bucks last season. Despite being down 2-0 against the Bucks, Leonard found a way to win the series 4-2. That type of experience is why Leonard is calm right now.
Paul George hasn't had the same type of success as Kawhi Leonard, but he knows the playoffs aren't a sprint. Every game is a boxing match, with its own separate momentum.
"Yeah, I mean, like I said, it's a marathon," George said. "The team we're playing is not a bad team, it's a good team, a good matchup. We battled all year long counting the regular season. This makes no difference."
While the Dallas Mavericks are a 7th seed, the NBA hiatus and bubble has clearly equaled the playing field for teams. Eighth-seeded teams are beating first-seeded teams in both conferences, and no team is playing like themselves. Four months off, players getting sick, and players leaving for family emergencies, has really ruined the continuity of teams. Because of that, George knows the Mavericks series is going to be tough.
"We expect a tough matchup," George said. "We expect a tough challenge. But the good thing about it is we're up for the challenge."
