Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving On Kawhi Leonard's Absence Affecting Mavericks' Preparation In Game 1

Luka Doncic discussed the Mavericks’ unexpected defeat against the Clippers, even though Kawhi Leonard was sidelined due to injury. Despite Leonard’s absence, the Mavericks suffered a 97-109 loss in Game 1 of the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers. The uncertainty surrounding Leonard’s injury status led to speculation about the Clippers’ lineup for Game 1, which, according to Doncic, affected the Mavericks’ performance.

“We prepared like he was going to play… But that should not change our mentality. Their mentality was next man up, and they did very well, very well… It’s the playoffs, so we got to stay focused 48 minutes.”

Kyrie Irving also commented on Kawhi’s absence in the contest, discussing how his absence could negatively affect a team but complimenting how fast the Clippers adjusted.

“It is a psychological game, playing chess, playing high-level combative game, competitive game. When someone like Kawhi who has a huge presence for their team isn’t playing, there is a bit of an adjustment period mentally because that means that other guys have to step up.”

Both Luka and Kyrie seem to be suggesting that Kawhi’s absence had a more detrimental effect on the Mavericks than it did on the Clippers. However, the Mavericks must take responsibility for their slow start, which led to a daunting 26-point halftime deficit.

Despite Luka’s impressive stat line of 33 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, his performance was lackluster and sluggish. Kyrie stood out as the top performer for the Mavericks, tallying 31 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Nevertheless, the combined 33 points from all other Mavericks players was insufficient.

In contrast, the Clippers distributed the workload evenly in Kawhi’s absence. James Harden delivered 28 points, while Paul George added 22 points to secure the victory. Ivica Zubac’s outstanding performance of 20 points and 15 rebounds also played a significant role in the Clippers’ commanding win.

Series Momentum Shifts Drastically In Game 1

Heading into this game, the Clippers must have felt deflated knowing Kawhi Leonard wouldn’t be on the court. With the Clippers ending the season in poor form and the Mavericks on a hot streak, Kawhi’s absence likely led many to assume an easy win for Dallas. However, the Mavericks’ lackluster performance allowed the Clippers to seize a significant advantage even without Leonard.

Heading into Game 2, the Clippers are likely feeling extremely optimistic, knowing another win could give them a substantial lead. With Kawhi possibly returning soon, either in Game 2 or 3, the Mavericks could find themselves in a challenging position. Hopefully, we’ll see a more focused Doncic, capable of igniting his teammates once again.

The Clippers seem content to let Doncic and Irving carry the offensive burden. Consequently, Dallas must find ways to consistently stifle the Clippers’ potent offense to ensure that Doncic and Irving’s production translates into wins.

Despite this performance, I’m still sticking with my prediction of the Mavericks winning in six games. However, it’s undoubtedly becoming more challenging after this setback.