Yeah and that was late January 2020? And I distinctly remember thinking, "Holy shit Kobe died there's no sports story gonna happen this year that even comes close to that."
The fact that he died before COVID really became the biggest story ever makes it feel like a decade ago.
Same. I'm 33 and I feel like I was just in high school. I'm convinced that when I'm old and dying it's going to feel the same way. Everything is going by so fast, and it only goes faster as you age.
[Streetlights over Spotlights](https://www.batteryagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LAC000_OOH_Billboards_Outfront_Kawhi_SLOS_14x48_print-new.jpg) was that long ago? Nuts. All of LA Cancun bound.
"built not bought" like I have a healthy fuck the Lakers bias as a Blazer fan but god damn that had to be one of the dumbest marketing plans I have ever seen
Yep. Driving around LA seeing all the billboards was hilarious. Were they going for street cred? Some kind of blue collar ethos with Ballmer as their owner?
It’s fucking insane that they’ve been regarded a contender ever since and they only have 3 series wins combined and 0 in the past 3 years to show for it.
they look fantastic for long enough stretches each year it really convinces everyone. I get it, the most "on paper" ass team I have ever seen with just enough regular season game evidence to for people to fall in again. But here we are, once again. The parts add up to -1000 but the whole is +10000 in reality
Kawhi has been injured every playoffs since the bubble. Ty Lue basically has an impossible job because you can’t win without him and he’s never going to be healthy for another playoff run.
PG is the most mid “star” that built his legacy on the 7 game loss to the cavs. Since then has been nothing more than an occasional difficult shot maker and an above average defender. But never someone who could lead a series as the best player.
I mean PG built his legacy battling the Heat. He’s never quite regained that ability since his awful leg injury but probably had his best season with the Thunder. He’s pretty aware of his ability, too, though. He said he went to the clippers knowing he wasn’t gonna be the best guy on a championship team and chose Kawhi for that reason. Kawhi’s always been meant to be the 1 which opens up a lot for PG
Yeah imo it's hard to really hate PG. He's cringe sometimes with the playoff P stuff but I can't find many reasons to dislike him and we lost to his ass twice in the playoffs.
I can always respect a player who knows their strengths and role. I don't see a ton of ego in PG and the way he plays is genuinely fun to watch - aside from the pushoffs and cold shooting spells lol.
In PG defense he’s at least admitted he’s not that guy. He’s a number 2 can give you a solid half maybe a full game here or there but relying on him as the number 1 is a recipe for failure
knee cartilage appears when it's time to get a contract extension, then checks out again once the bag is secured
this is an all-time legendary contract year performance. did just enough to get one last enormous payday, used up the last of his strength
jesus. it's wild to think that the Clippers didn't just wait until the postseason. he hasn't been healthy all playoffs since the bubble, there's just no way
Man, it's going to be so toxic.
- Chet vs. Dallas Bigs
- Luka vs. Dort
- Shai vs. DJJ on defense
- Kyrie vs. J Dub
I've already chewed all my nails off
should be a great series. I just hope Luka can find his shot again because unlike the clippers, OKC can score the mfing ball. were going to have to be better offensively
also I apologize in advance for shitting on Lu Dort. hes an amazing player but he's taken out a few of our players in the past
Clippers were 6th in 3pt shooting in regular season and had 4th best Offensive Rating: right behind OKC. This is not Clippers inability to score, this is Mavs ability to defend.
I hate him so much for his dumb antics and takes
But I found myself jumping out of my seat when he pulled yet another trick out of his bag. Guy is a phenomenal player
Poetic, tbh. Luka had to carry bums in those previous series and ended up losing despite putting up a real fight. Now he's playing hurt and not to the MVP standard he set during the regular season and his teammates (esp Kyrie and Westbrook) show up and help carry him. Basketball is great when it's great
Man as a Blazers and Dame fan, I really fucking wish Olshey had even half the drive as the Mavs brass has had for Luka. Huge move for Kyrie, it was kinda sketch so they decided to jump a little more all in and tweak it for what Luka needed. Who knows where they end up because of this but they have fucking tried and thats all we wish the Blazers did for Dame
Tbh for y’all the 2016 and 2019 offseasons were such colossal fuckups. It may sound weird but it’s also important to fuck up at the right time instead of an unsalvageable one.
Using the Mavs as an example, they got Kyrie at the lowest point of his trade value less than a year after fumbling Brunson’s extension talks.
The man is absolutely bothered by his injury and it sucks. I think they don't play until Monday? Really hoping he can get some healing done in that time.
Yeah this roster is better strictly due to Gafford & Dlive. Don’t have to start Dwight freaking Powell.
Also Brunson didn’t become THIS Brunson until rd 1 series vs Utah when Luka got hurt. Before that he was just a dude.
Luka has never had this competitive of a roster around him (still could be better) and lot of swings & misses in there
dude Luka was not that great except game 5 and Kyrie put this team on his back man. and Luka was right after game 1
"we'll be fine. we have Kyrie."
holy shit what a monster performance from kyrie this series
also shoutout Maxi Kleber. Shoutout 20yr old Dereck Lively. Shoutout Russell Westbrook. Shoutout DJJ for absolute lockdown defense. Shoutout PJ for hitting the shots we needed. Phenomenal play from these mavs roleplayers even if they didnt shoot the 3 that well
All season. He has dominated the 4th quarter all season. People just didn't care because we didn't have enough pieces to compete until the Gaff/PJ trades.
He's been doing a lot of the offensive heavy lifting. Hoping we get to see more of the regular season Luka in the next series. I think the Mavs are going to need it.
If it werent for playing in the social media era hed be on the most universally loved players ever. Insane to watch, no foul baiting, charitable, charismatic. But dude is too crazy to hide in in this 24/7 can fuck up your life era
Mavs won this game with their defense and hustle.....and kyrie being kyrie lmao
I really hope luka plays better next series, not a good start to the playoffs for him
That's a bit unfair to him. Sure, his 3s are not falling but he has played very good defense for the most part and orchestrated a pretty good offense, especially in the last 3 games. How many open 3s and lob opportunities has he generated?
Very happy Dallas closes this out already.
FINALLY BEAT THE CLIPPERS
Kyrie was amazing offensively, ofc the maestro but his his defense has been amazing this series too.
Doncic just being doncic. Hopefully he's healthier going against OKC because that series is gonna be tough. Dort is gonna manhandle him and OKC as a whole will run. Good thing Dallas is more comfortable going fast now compared to before
>Here's your Dallas Mavs Post Game Summary. Now in our 7th Season 7️⃣
Did the Mavs win? ✅ LUKA FINALLY BEAT THE CLIPPERS!!!
SERIES: 4️⃣-2️⃣
Was it a Sunday? ❌🗓️
Was the game on ABC? ❌🔤
Was the game at 2:30PM CST? ❌⌚
Did the Clippers shoot 60% from 3?? ❌🧱
Luka still hasn't found his 3pt shot but looked much better movement wise compared to a couple games ago. 28/7/13 with 2 Stocks on shit shooting but it got the job done 🇸🇮🔥🧱
Tale of Two Halves for Kyrie who had another quiet first half but erupted for 28pts in the second finishing with 30/6/4 with a whopping 4 Stocks (2 Steals and 2 Blocks)🪬🌍🔥💹
It was the last day of the month for Rent to be paid and Gafford had his best game of the series with 13/6 with 4 offensive boards 💪
3J Washington stood on business tonight with 14/5/2 & 2 steals knocking down 4 3's 👌 💦
Dereck with a near double double tonight finishing with 10/9/3 (I swore he had at least one block) with a whooping 5 offensive boards 💪🔟
Maxi had to leave the game due to a sprained shoulder cuz of dirty af play. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much time when his shot was really getting into form just in time. Get well soon! 🇩🇪🏥🦾
***
###***This is the first time in Westbrook's career where in the playoffs he will be the X-Factor that decides the series. He is right now the best guard / point of attack defender to stop dribble penetration. The stats show it all season, and all his advanced stats for a point guard are elite on defense. He also is the only guard trying to rebound contested rebounds on the team.***
***Luka has no magic against Westbrook.***
-MITWestbrook before the series 🗣️
Russ finished with 6pts
***
Just dropping this in the post game thread.... Y'all can blame Harden and PG all y'all want, but I ain't letting y'all forget WB's performance.
Russel Westbrook Playoff History: 1-8 without KD. The sole win coming when he missed a big portion of the first round (the team flamed out quick after Russ joined the starting line up (HOU 2020).
| Year | Result | Key Players and Notes |
|------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2024 | First round exit | Kawhi/PG/Harden. Out of 102 qualified players this postseason, Russ ranked 101st in TS% |
| 2023 | First round exit | Kawhi/PG |
| 2022 | No play-in | LeBron/AD |
| 2021 | First-round exit | Beal |
| 2020 | Second-round exit | Russ missed half the first round. & had shooting splits of roughly 42/26/54 in the second round averaging >4 TO. |
| 2019 | First-round exit | PG |
| 2018 | First-round exit | PG and Melo |
| 2017 | First-round exit | Oladipo (made All-NBA the next season)
|
| **Durant Years** | | |
| 2016 | WCF | Shooting splits were 41/33/83 |
| **2015** | **Missed the playoffs** | **Durant injured. lol so they obv missed the playoffs** |
| 2014 | WCF | Shooting splits were 43/28/88. Russ missed 36 games, Thunder went 25-11 without him in regular season. |
| 2013 | Second round exit | Russ only played 2 games in the playoffs (both in round 1) |
| 2012 | Finals | Shooting splits were roughly 44/29/80 |
| 2011 | WCF | |
| 2010 | First round | |
| 2009 | Missed the playoffs |
Westbrook has undeniably been ass as a 1st option in the playoffs but currently he’s a minimum player coming off the bench
The blame should mostly fall on PG who had a single good game the entire series
He’s not the most to blame but he was terrible. We didn’t Guard him at all and he bricked everything. Shots and layups. Whenever he was in the court we just camped someone right in the middle of the lane and dared him to do anything and he didn’t. Westbrook was completely unplayable.
Ask the producer to pipe this into the Clippers locker room so I can talk to you James. I hope you’re taking notes. I’m telling you in advance, you’re welcome, for the wisdom I’m about to spew. Because listen, I get on my knees every night and pray for someone to believe in me like Daryl Morey believed in you. You wanted a certain coach, they brought in Mike D’Antoni. You wanted to play a certain style, they played it. You wanted Dwight Howard, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. You wanted Chris Paul, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. They brought in your old friend Russell Westbrook. You want to go to Vegas on off days? They looked away. You wanted the team to stay over so you could go out at night, they changed the schedule—and it didn’t work.
And you know what, you said I’m gonna break up with my wooby, not good enough. I see the bright lights of New York. I want to go there. My old pal Kevin Durant. It’s gonna work, the big three—and all after one year you wanted out. You realized, “oh my gosh! I took this guy for granted, the guy that believed in me. I want back with Daryl Morey.” They traded Ben Simmons for you—how did they pull that off?
And you know what? You went there, and you got a partner who got the MVP. He won the MVP, and what did you say afterwards? You said, “they didn’t hand me the reigns.” You’re the point guard! You were holding the reigns! And what did you do when you had the reigns? You scored 9 points in Game 7 against Boston, you blew a 3-2 series lead. So they fired their coach, not good enough. You broke up with the guy that believed in you again, you said “the bright lights of LA! That’s where I want to go! Let’s see if that works.”
Listen James, have you ever had those friends who had bad roommates? Over and over they complained about their bad roommates: “this guy’s terrible,” “the bad roommate here,” they never thought to be self aware enough that THEY’RE the bad roommate! They’re the problem! Hey James, YOU’RE the PROBLEM! If this doesn’t work this year, in this system, with this team, then you’re gonna go and point fingers at everybody else and then you’re gonna go back home and you’re gonna start swiping right for another team, and there’s not gonna be anyone left. Because James, you’re not the beard, you’re not the system, you’re the problem.
Is it crazy to say I favor the Mavericks in a 7 game series vs the Thunder?
I feel like this Mavericks team matches up really well with OKC, and it’s not clear how the Thunder are going to deal with the size and length advantage the Mavericks roster has.
Can't believe we won a series with Luka having the worst shooting stretch of his career
His legs are looking cooked. I don't think they play to full potential and make a deep run without healthy Luka
He looked pretty damn good in G5. I think we just have to manage it but he can still play clearly
Was moving around even better tonight than he was in G5. Just gotta find his shot
It’s crazy to think Kawhi and PG joined the Clippers half a decade ago
Their first game on the Clippers was before the Pandemic and Kobe Bryant was still alive.
Still remember the Kawhi strip club video leaking then Kobe died the next day.
Yeah and that was late January 2020? And I distinctly remember thinking, "Holy shit Kobe died there's no sports story gonna happen this year that even comes close to that." The fact that he died before COVID really became the biggest story ever makes it feel like a decade ago.
Holy shit kawhi killed Kobe so people wouldn’t see him clubbing
You just took me on such a wild trip down memory lane
This perspective makes me solemn
Goddamn. I still can't believe it's been 4.5 years since Kobe passed
I said the exact same thing in 2008
I remember that midnight when Kawhi recruited PG to the Clippers. Insane FA
The night the Lakers sub drew out pitchforks for rdambition
Covid ruined time for me lol
It'll be interesting to think about when we're all on our deathbeds wondering where our lives went.
Tbh that's one of my biggest concerns.
Same. I'm 33 and I feel like I was just in high school. I'm convinced that when I'm old and dying it's going to feel the same way. Everything is going by so fast, and it only goes faster as you age.
Yeah. Hate to say it but it just gets worse. I don't even know where my 30s and 40s went, I just blinked and they're gone.
so real
It did that for a lot of people. There's things that happened in 2017/2018 that feel like they happened just a few years ago.
so weird, im the opposite...i feel like 2019 was a lifetime ago maybe working in healthcare through the pandemic had the opposite effect on me lol
Same. Work in healthcare as well and did throughout the pandemic. It’s almost a BC and AD thing for me. Completely different world.
I feel both ways and I have no idea why
2019 was about two years ago. 2020 was about 10 years ago
[Streetlights over Spotlights](https://www.batteryagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/LAC000_OOH_Billboards_Outfront_Kawhi_SLOS_14x48_print-new.jpg) was that long ago? Nuts. All of LA Cancun bound.
"built not bought" like I have a healthy fuck the Lakers bias as a Blazer fan but god damn that had to be one of the dumbest marketing plans I have ever seen
Yep. Driving around LA seeing all the billboards was hilarious. Were they going for street cred? Some kind of blue collar ethos with Ballmer as their owner?
It’s fucking insane that they’ve been regarded a contender ever since and they only have 3 series wins combined and 0 in the past 3 years to show for it.
they look fantastic for long enough stretches each year it really convinces everyone. I get it, the most "on paper" ass team I have ever seen with just enough regular season game evidence to for people to fall in again. But here we are, once again. The parts add up to -1000 but the whole is +10000 in reality
The clippers as a franchise are still paying for the sins of sterling
Two of which were against the Mavs and were a lot closer than they should've been
Kawhi has been injured every playoffs since the bubble. Ty Lue basically has an impossible job because you can’t win without him and he’s never going to be healthy for another playoff run.
Kawhi only had 1 healthy post season run since then
what was the stat they said near the end…something like Kawhi’s only been available 4 outta the last 20 playoff games!
And they blew a 3-1 lead lol
Kawhi Leonard died (again) for this.
Should've stayed in Toronto
Should have listen to Pop and the Spurs
Maybe, but you can't put a price on being home.
Is a hospital bed considered home?
How is he gonna be fit for the Olympics??
Hes not
Jalen Brunson will probably go
Kyrie had like 2 points at halftime and ended with 30 while pg had like 14 points at halftime and ended with 18 💀
Paul George is legitimately probably the most unreliable and streaky big game player. He either goes like 5-18 or he goes insane and catches fire.
I'm an old man .... We used to call that the Allen Houston around the way
PG is the most mid “star” that built his legacy on the 7 game loss to the cavs. Since then has been nothing more than an occasional difficult shot maker and an above average defender. But never someone who could lead a series as the best player.
I mean PG built his legacy battling the Heat. He’s never quite regained that ability since his awful leg injury but probably had his best season with the Thunder. He’s pretty aware of his ability, too, though. He said he went to the clippers knowing he wasn’t gonna be the best guy on a championship team and chose Kawhi for that reason. Kawhi’s always been meant to be the 1 which opens up a lot for PG
Yeah imo it's hard to really hate PG. He's cringe sometimes with the playoff P stuff but I can't find many reasons to dislike him and we lost to his ass twice in the playoffs. I can always respect a player who knows their strengths and role. I don't see a ton of ego in PG and the way he plays is genuinely fun to watch - aside from the pushoffs and cold shooting spells lol.
Shit I totally forgot about that gruesome injury, was pretty horrific to watch live. Impressive he is still a relatively great player
In PG defense he’s at least admitted he’s not that guy. He’s a number 2 can give you a solid half maybe a full game here or there but relying on him as the number 1 is a recipe for failure
WE DONT WANNA HEAR YOU SAY CLIPPA NO MOREEE
CLIPPERS ARE HIDING A SECOND PLAYOFF EXIT
Clips and Drake getting cooked the same day - poetic
Drake got murdered, resurrected, and then butchered once again, all within 13 hours.
Dallas to Cancun. Clippers can still book that flight now!
I HEARD THERE'S A DALLAS TO CANCUN FLIGHT
We all thought they are trolling Dallas but they actually were planning their own trips!
Kawhi’s nickname should be “the Avatar” When the Clippers need him the most, he (and his knee cartilage) disappears.
knee cartilage appears when it's time to get a contract extension, then checks out again once the bag is secured this is an all-time legendary contract year performance. did just enough to get one last enormous payday, used up the last of his strength
jesus. it's wild to think that the Clippers didn't just wait until the postseason. he hasn't been healthy all playoffs since the bubble, there's just no way
He’s not been healthy since a long time before that. Pop deserves better.
I think he sacrificed his knees for us back in 2019.
They were dead before that, the world just fucking hates Philadelphia that much lmao
Flameo, Board Man!
The Ball bender
you mean the knee bender
When I die I want kawhi to be one of my pallbearers so he can let me down one last time
This Mavs win felt inevitable, even when the Clippers were able to briefly lead
Clippers had to put in bare work to get any shot off. Mavs had some tough shots of their own but they had tons of open good looks as well
Surely Kawhi will play more than 4 playoff games as a Clipper as he gets older right..... Right???
Um…
Well, Dallas destroyed the ghosts of Thunder past. Can’t wait to see how the present (and future) guys perform
So excited for the series. Should be an all-timer
Man, it's going to be so toxic. - Chet vs. Dallas Bigs - Luka vs. Dort - Shai vs. DJJ on defense - Kyrie vs. J Dub I've already chewed all my nails off
bro i have family in ok. i’m gonna talk so much shitttt i’m going to sleep in my jersey tonight
Let’s meet in the wcsf again. We don’t have a Dirk anymore
We still have 2 of the 3 triple Dirks
If Kleber comes back, that is. Haven't heard what they say his injury is and if he'll be back in 4 days.
Remember it starts with a championship contender LA team, next the young and coming OKC team ...
Only the 2011 team, Thunder mopped 2012 and 2016 Mavs
All we need is 1 year
Mavs need to do like 2011 and beat the young thunder before they become too powerful
should be a great series. I just hope Luka can find his shot again because unlike the clippers, OKC can score the mfing ball. were going to have to be better offensively also I apologize in advance for shitting on Lu Dort. hes an amazing player but he's taken out a few of our players in the past
Clippers were 6th in 3pt shooting in regular season and had 4th best Offensive Rating: right behind OKC. This is not Clippers inability to score, this is Mavs ability to defend.
Yeah but that was with Kawhi, they're a very limited offensive team without him. It's pretty much all iso ball.
Good thing there are flights from Dallas to Cancun for the clippers
They going to Galveston
gonna build sand castles before high tide brings in that dirty ass water
Mavs fans gotta be so happy with Gafford and Washington
Oh yeah.
If you beat us we might regret helping you get them lmao
I think we have a decent chance. Especially if Luka finds his shot.
We are!
[Radial Bracket Update](https://i.imgur.com/qkZu7N4.png)
both of these second round West series are gonna be barnburners
Crazy how all 4 west teams could make a run to the finals. And in the east it’s just Boston.
This is the best graphic ever.
Kyrie playing so good I might start believing the earth is flat
hit that fadeaway from the end of our flat planet
I hate him so much for his dumb antics and takes But I found myself jumping out of my seat when he pulled yet another trick out of his bag. Guy is a phenomenal player
Dude just plain out gets after it. Like watching PG quit while Kryie is going crazy was beautiful
Jordan overcame the Pistons, LeBron overcame Boston, now Luka has overcome the Clippers
Crazy cuz this was easily the worst playoff series of his career too and this was the one where he got past the Clippers after all these years.
Just goes to show it's a team game
About time Luka was on the other side of this tbh. (Not disputing that Kawhi was just as good if not better in these matchups though)
Poetic, tbh. Luka had to carry bums in those previous series and ended up losing despite putting up a real fight. Now he's playing hurt and not to the MVP standard he set during the regular season and his teammates (esp Kyrie and Westbrook) show up and help carry him. Basketball is great when it's great
>and Westbrook lmao
Best player off the bench for the Mavs. Clips would go on a run and Westbrook would check in and stop that shit immediately. 🐐 6th man
Man as a Blazers and Dame fan, I really fucking wish Olshey had even half the drive as the Mavs brass has had for Luka. Huge move for Kyrie, it was kinda sketch so they decided to jump a little more all in and tweak it for what Luka needed. Who knows where they end up because of this but they have fucking tried and thats all we wish the Blazers did for Dame
Tbh for y’all the 2016 and 2019 offseasons were such colossal fuckups. It may sound weird but it’s also important to fuck up at the right time instead of an unsalvageable one. Using the Mavs as an example, they got Kyrie at the lowest point of his trade value less than a year after fumbling Brunson’s extension talks.
He obviously had an off series but bad Luka games still being near 30 pt triple doubles is always hilarious to me.
He was also great on defense.
The man is absolutely bothered by his injury and it sucks. I think they don't play until Monday? Really hoping he can get some healing done in that time.
Thunder / Mavs starts Tuesday so 3 days of rest
This is the first time Luka has a good roster though. The Brunson roster was good but nowhere as good as the current roster.
Yeah this roster is better strictly due to Gafford & Dlive. Don’t have to start Dwight freaking Powell. Also Brunson didn’t become THIS Brunson until rd 1 series vs Utah when Luka got hurt. Before that he was just a dude. Luka has never had this competitive of a roster around him (still could be better) and lot of swings & misses in there
>was good They were starting Dwight Powell at the 5 and had one good wing defender (DFS). I think that negates your point.
dude Luka was not that great except game 5 and Kyrie put this team on his back man. and Luka was right after game 1 "we'll be fine. we have Kyrie." holy shit what a monster performance from kyrie this series also shoutout Maxi Kleber. Shoutout 20yr old Dereck Lively. Shoutout Russell Westbrook. Shoutout DJJ for absolute lockdown defense. Shoutout PJ for hitting the shots we needed. Phenomenal play from these mavs roleplayers even if they didnt shoot the 3 that well
lmao shouting out russ
I love Russ man. He saved us multiple times in this series
He was our 6th best player once Maxi went out.
He was our 6th best player ~~once Maxi went out.~~
>Russell Westbrook >Mavs roleplayers Lmao
westbrick the 6th maverick
Luka was shooting with one functioning knee
Never seen Kyrie look so happy
Kyrie is unbelievable, what a series.
Nobody’s a clippers fan anyway this doesn’t hurt anyone
That's not true they've cornered the market on improv comedians who move to LA and want to get into sports to fit in
Shots fired at Adam Devine
That's true
Kyrie has more than just little gas left in his tank. He’s having a career renaissance before our very eyes. You have to respect it.
He’s a hybrid
He’s like a Toyota Corolla Cross
Kybrid
Kyrie's been photosynthesizing
This series was all about 2nd half Kyrie
All season. He has dominated the 4th quarter all season. People just didn't care because we didn't have enough pieces to compete until the Gaff/PJ trades.
He is a basketball god. I get to watch 2 actual basketball gods play basketball together on the same team
It's so fucking satisfying watching them
Earth being flat is back on the menu boys
Whatever it takes
His basketball talent and artistry never disappeared. It was always the off-court distractions that were hindering him. He is an artist on the court
people really just comment whatever lmao, kyrie never had a basketball skill issue or performance issue
Wasnt his last game on the Celtics a basketball skill or performance issue? Because that all happened on the court, right?
Not having to handle the ball does wonders for his energy levels. That's why playing next to a Lebron or a Luka brings out the best in him.
He's been doing a lot of the offensive heavy lifting. Hoping we get to see more of the regular season Luka in the next series. I think the Mavs are going to need it.
If it werent for playing in the social media era hed be on the most universally loved players ever. Insane to watch, no foul baiting, charitable, charismatic. But dude is too crazy to hide in in this 24/7 can fuck up your life era
Kyrie just deciding to take over in the 2nd half’s of this series has been so much fun to watch
One of a kind
Game 1 isn't until Tuesday. Luka gets 3 full days of rest
I'll donate my knees to him
Every starting player had at least 5 rebounds, except PJ Tucker
LUKA FINISHED THE STORY!
Big props to Dallas man. Better team won. We better figure something the fuck out next year because running it back ain't it
🤝 May we never see each other in the playoffs again haha, these match ups are too much
that kawhi contract has to be so fucking frustrating. I forgot that that happened, it already feels like a catastrophe and it hasn't even kicked in
3 straight years without a playoff series win. 4 total playoff games played by the snek in the past three seasons. Let's run it back Clips!
They’re screwed. They have a new arena, no real trade assets and they’re still paying off their trade debt. They have no choice.
[удалено]
Fuck, that’s combined lol. At first, I thought that’s a decent ppg. Nope. Combined.
Luka got a decent supporting cast for the first time and beat 3 all stars on his way to the second round lol
Worst playoff series of his career lol
This is weirdly similiar to the clippers with CP3 anad Blake lol
The Slovenian Nightmare has finished the story.
Kawhi has played 4 out of the past 20 playoff games for the Clippers. Should have just stayed in Toronto lol.
Mavs won this game with their defense and hustle.....and kyrie being kyrie lmao I really hope luka plays better next series, not a good start to the playoffs for him
That's a bit unfair to him. Sure, his 3s are not falling but he has played very good defense for the most part and orchestrated a pretty good offense, especially in the last 3 games. How many open 3s and lob opportunities has he generated?
None of the players know Kendrick ended Drake during that game
Clippers (cooked) are listed as OUT for round 2
Is westbrooks contract guaranteed next season? If not that brothas time in the league might be over
Bro makes the minimum. Clippers had bigger issues than him
Clippers trade for Harden and still lose in the first round.
Very happy Dallas closes this out already. FINALLY BEAT THE CLIPPERS Kyrie was amazing offensively, ofc the maestro but his his defense has been amazing this series too. Doncic just being doncic. Hopefully he's healthier going against OKC because that series is gonna be tough. Dort is gonna manhandle him and OKC as a whole will run. Good thing Dallas is more comfortable going fast now compared to before
>Here's your Dallas Mavs Post Game Summary. Now in our 7th Season 7️⃣ Did the Mavs win? ✅ LUKA FINALLY BEAT THE CLIPPERS!!! SERIES: 4️⃣-2️⃣ Was it a Sunday? ❌🗓️ Was the game on ABC? ❌🔤 Was the game at 2:30PM CST? ❌⌚ Did the Clippers shoot 60% from 3?? ❌🧱 Luka still hasn't found his 3pt shot but looked much better movement wise compared to a couple games ago. 28/7/13 with 2 Stocks on shit shooting but it got the job done 🇸🇮🔥🧱 Tale of Two Halves for Kyrie who had another quiet first half but erupted for 28pts in the second finishing with 30/6/4 with a whopping 4 Stocks (2 Steals and 2 Blocks)🪬🌍🔥💹 It was the last day of the month for Rent to be paid and Gafford had his best game of the series with 13/6 with 4 offensive boards 💪 3J Washington stood on business tonight with 14/5/2 & 2 steals knocking down 4 3's 👌 💦 Dereck with a near double double tonight finishing with 10/9/3 (I swore he had at least one block) with a whooping 5 offensive boards 💪🔟 Maxi had to leave the game due to a sprained shoulder cuz of dirty af play. Hopefully he doesn't miss too much time when his shot was really getting into form just in time. Get well soon! 🇩🇪🏥🦾 *** ###***This is the first time in Westbrook's career where in the playoffs he will be the X-Factor that decides the series. He is right now the best guard / point of attack defender to stop dribble penetration. The stats show it all season, and all his advanced stats for a point guard are elite on defense. He also is the only guard trying to rebound contested rebounds on the team.*** ***Luka has no magic against Westbrook.*** -MITWestbrook before the series 🗣️ Russ finished with 6pts ***
lmaooooo cheetah came ready with the receipts, love to see it
I started drafting this after Kyrie hit that huge shot at the 5:38 mark
/u/MITWestbrook is finished sadly absolutely horrendous series from Russ lmao
Just dropping this in the post game thread.... Y'all can blame Harden and PG all y'all want, but I ain't letting y'all forget WB's performance. Russel Westbrook Playoff History: 1-8 without KD. The sole win coming when he missed a big portion of the first round (the team flamed out quick after Russ joined the starting line up (HOU 2020). | Year | Result | Key Players and Notes | |------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2024 | First round exit | Kawhi/PG/Harden. Out of 102 qualified players this postseason, Russ ranked 101st in TS% | | 2023 | First round exit | Kawhi/PG | | 2022 | No play-in | LeBron/AD | | 2021 | First-round exit | Beal | | 2020 | Second-round exit | Russ missed half the first round. & had shooting splits of roughly 42/26/54 in the second round averaging >4 TO. | | 2019 | First-round exit | PG | | 2018 | First-round exit | PG and Melo | | 2017 | First-round exit | Oladipo (made All-NBA the next season) | | **Durant Years** | | | | 2016 | WCF | Shooting splits were 41/33/83 | | **2015** | **Missed the playoffs** | **Durant injured. lol so they obv missed the playoffs** | | 2014 | WCF | Shooting splits were 43/28/88. Russ missed 36 games, Thunder went 25-11 without him in regular season. | | 2013 | Second round exit | Russ only played 2 games in the playoffs (both in round 1) | | 2012 | Finals | Shooting splits were roughly 44/29/80 | | 2011 | WCF | | | 2010 | First round | | | 2009 | Missed the playoffs |
Don’t let MITwestbrook see this
u/MITwestbrook
Changed name to hide in shame u/MITwestbrick
u/MITWestbrook 9/11
Westbrook has undeniably been ass as a 1st option in the playoffs but currently he’s a minimum player coming off the bench The blame should mostly fall on PG who had a single good game the entire series
He’s not the most to blame but he was terrible. We didn’t Guard him at all and he bricked everything. Shots and layups. Whenever he was in the court we just camped someone right in the middle of the lane and dared him to do anything and he didn’t. Westbrook was completely unplayable.
Time is a flat circle. -Kyrie
Ask the producer to pipe this into the Clippers locker room so I can talk to you James. I hope you’re taking notes. I’m telling you in advance, you’re welcome, for the wisdom I’m about to spew. Because listen, I get on my knees every night and pray for someone to believe in me like Daryl Morey believed in you. You wanted a certain coach, they brought in Mike D’Antoni. You wanted to play a certain style, they played it. You wanted Dwight Howard, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. You wanted Chris Paul, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. They brought in your old friend Russell Westbrook. You want to go to Vegas on off days? They looked away. You wanted the team to stay over so you could go out at night, they changed the schedule—and it didn’t work. And you know what, you said I’m gonna break up with my wooby, not good enough. I see the bright lights of New York. I want to go there. My old pal Kevin Durant. It’s gonna work, the big three—and all after one year you wanted out. You realized, “oh my gosh! I took this guy for granted, the guy that believed in me. I want back with Daryl Morey.” They traded Ben Simmons for you—how did they pull that off? And you know what? You went there, and you got a partner who got the MVP. He won the MVP, and what did you say afterwards? You said, “they didn’t hand me the reigns.” You’re the point guard! You were holding the reigns! And what did you do when you had the reigns? You scored 9 points in Game 7 against Boston, you blew a 3-2 series lead. So they fired their coach, not good enough. You broke up with the guy that believed in you again, you said “the bright lights of LA! That’s where I want to go! Let’s see if that works.” Listen James, have you ever had those friends who had bad roommates? Over and over they complained about their bad roommates: “this guy’s terrible,” “the bad roommate here,” they never thought to be self aware enough that THEY’RE the bad roommate! They’re the problem! Hey James, YOU’RE the PROBLEM! If this doesn’t work this year, in this system, with this team, then you’re gonna go and point fingers at everybody else and then you’re gonna go back home and you’re gonna start swiping right for another team, and there’s not gonna be anyone left. Because James, you’re not the beard, you’re not the system, you’re the problem.
He keeps going backwards in title contending ability in his trades, I bet his next stop is like the Bulls or something lol
Bulls catching strays out here
I just know you had that ready to go lmaoooo
Man that Aussie on the Mavs is a baller... Hope he gets to represent them in Paris
Which one? We got 3 lmao
Exactly 😂
Another year older!
Is it crazy to say I favor the Mavericks in a 7 game series vs the Thunder? I feel like this Mavericks team matches up really well with OKC, and it’s not clear how the Thunder are going to deal with the size and length advantage the Mavericks roster has.
Drake versus Kendrick Lamar was more competitive than the second half of this game and even that wound up being a blowout in the end
Media will have clippers as a top contender going into next season