DALLAS, TX – The Dallas Mavericks (2-2) hosting the Los Angeles Clippers (2-2) for game four in American Airlines Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Mavs started off slow and both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving both got into foul trouble early. They both had three fouls going into the half. In the first quarter it was obvious that the Mavs were struggling from the three-point line. They were 0-7 midway through the first and the Clippers started to take a lead. Dallas finished the quarter with zero made threes and shot 25 percent from the floor while the Clippers made 8-of-11 three-pointers 72 percent from the floor. Clippers took a 39-16 lead entering the second quarter.
The second quarter was almost worse than the first, Irving scored two three-pointers, these were the only two three-pointers the Mavs would have entering the half, meanwhile L.A. was shooting lights out. The Clippers hit 13 three’s in the first half.
Clippers took a 66-49 lead into halftime.
The Mavs came out hot in the third quarter and within the first four minutes dropped the Clippers lead down to 10 points. Dallas outscored the Clippers 29-16 in the third quarter bringing the lead down to two. Irving led the Mavs entering the fourth quarter with 26 points.
The Clippers made 16 three-pointers while Dallas only had seven, rebounding was big in this game. Dallas had 40 boards while the Clippers only had 26. That is the only reason they were in this game because L.A. was out shooting them. Clippers finished the night with 18 three-pointers while the Mavs made 11. All of which, except for two, were in the second half.
Dallas’s largest deficit of the night was in the second quarter, they were down 31 points. With this loss the series is now tied 2-2. Dallas will head back to Los Angeles and play the Clippers on Wednesday night at 9 PM.
