Can Boban Again Help Mavs Over Clippers? 'Nice Guys Finish First'

Marcus Morris played the bad guy in Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks, helping his Los Angeles Clippers to a first-round playoff win. But in Wednesday's Game 2, the Mavs took the victory, 127-114.

And Morris had to hand it to one Mav in particular, 7-4 journeyman Boban Marjanovic.

“You’re the nicest guy I’ve ever met,'' a mic'ed-up Morris told Marjanovich during a break in the action of what would become a 127-114 Dallas win. “You’re my guy.”

Who else loves this interaction between Marcus Morris and Boban? ❤️🤩#SeasonsBuckets pic.twitter.com/FQcmKAzYac
— Seasons 🏀 (@SeasonsBuckets) August 20, 2020

Some are crediting Morris with a gift for playing "mind games'' with foes. Maybe that's what happened when his Game 1 wrestling match ended with a game-changing Kristaps Porzingis ejection. But calling Boban the nicest guy ever'' isn't a game.

It's kind of a fact.

The Mavericks reserve center has a reputation for pleasantness and for being a good teammate. He's also a guy, though, who many discounted as a legit backup center. They've been proven wrong so far in this series - in Game 2 he contributed 13 points and nine rebounds in about nine minutes, making Marjanovic the first player in NBA history to record 10-plus points and seven-plus rebounds in 10-or-fewer minutes of a playoff game - and Marjanovic will be in play again tonight in Game 3 in the NBA bubble against the Clippers, with the best-of-seven series tied 1-1.

As Boban said to start the series, "Of course (the Mavs can win). Everybody in the playoff has (an) equal chance. ... I hope we surprise the Clippers."

The surprise-worthy goal? That "the nice guys'' finish first, over the course of 48 minutes, again.