Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Clippers: 3 Big Things to Watch
The Dallas Mavericks (7-5) take on the Los Angeles Clippers (8-6) in the second game of their five-game homestand at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night.
The Mavericks are coming off a much-needed victory on Saturday as they outlasted the Portland Trail Blazers, 117-112, with Luka Doncic posting a 42-point triple-double in an impressive bounce-back performance.
The Clippers are fresh off a 122-106 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night, which was the first game of their back-to-back set. Can the Mavs take advantage of a shorthanded Clippers team with tired legs?
Here are three key things to watch for in Tuesday night's contest.
Defending the stars
Going into Tuesday's matchup, both teams find themselves tied at No. 4 in opponent points allowed per game so far this season, giving up an average of 107.2 points per game. Though over the last two games for Dallas, they've given up an average of 115 points per game.
For the Mavs, it starts and ends with defending Paul George, especially with Kawhi Leonard still out of the lineup. That task goes to Dorian Finney-Smith and Reggie Bullock. Finney-Smith is very familiar with defending PG13 from the previous playoff matchups between the two teams.
With Leonard out and George as the focus, the Mavericks will need to stay tight to the Clippers shooters in Luke Kennard, who is shooting 47.7 percent from downtown, Marcus Morris Sr., and Robert Covington.
For the Clippers, good luck with Doncic, who is leading the league with an average of 34.3 points per game. Tyronn Lue has a number of bodies to throw at No. 77, whether its George, Morris Sr., Covington, Batum — you name it. But, can they slow him down? History doesn't think so. Last season, Doncic put up 96 points in two matchups against the Clippers.
Dinwiddie's hot shooting streak
Spencer Dinwiddie has been on one over the last three games, averaging 27.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists per game on 57.4 percent from the field and 56.7 percent from downtown.
Dinwiddie's groove, despite having two losses in the last three games, has been vital to the Mavericks' offense. Scoring has been tough to come by unless your name is Luka Doncic, especially from 3-point range.
Dinwiddie has knocked down 11 more attempts from deep than anyone on the team and has hit at least two 3-pointers in 10 of the Mavericks' 12 games this season. After being a below-average 3-point shooter for most of his career, Dinwiddie has stayed above 40 percent from deep during his entire stint with the Mavs so far.
With slow shooting starts from Finney-Smith and Bullock, Dinwiddie's consistency and hot streak from outside has been crucial to the Dallas offense. We’ll see if that continues against the Clippers.
Mavericks game plan for Zubac
The duel between the Dallas Mavericks and Ivica Zubac over the years has been one to watch, as the two teams have faced off in two of the last three postseasons.
In those matchups, Doncic was able to single-handedly play Zubac off the floor by having the Clippers big man switch onto him in pick-and-rolls and feasting. Getting Zubac switched onto an island was a big factor in the Mavericks' success in those playoff series', despite losing both matchups.
This season, Zubac is averaging career-high's across the board with 10.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game in 30.6 minutes per game, six minutes higher than his previous career-high. But, will those minute totals remain the same against Doncic?
The Mavericks' lack of size, and lack of production from JaVale McGee, will be an issue against Zubac, as they currently rank 29th out of 30 teams in rebounding. But if the Dallas guards can relentlessly attack Zubac on the offensive end of the floor, Lue may feel obligated to pull his big man like in previous years.
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