The LA Clippers have fought back to take control of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.
After losing their first two games at home against the Dallas Mavericks, with Luka Doncic going absolutely crazy, the LA Clippers‘ chances of making a deep playoff run appeared bleak.
In fact, many were quick to count this team out entirely. After all, the Clippers were heading towards Dallas for Games 3 and 4. Splitting the two road games would not be enough and would put this team in a huge 3-1 hole even with the series heading back to Los Angeles.
However, with their backs against the wall, the Clippers answered the call. On the backs of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, LA has managed to even the series at 2-2, heading back to Los Angeles, and now has all the momentum heading into a crucial Game 5.
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Kawhi, PG have been better this postseason for the LA Clippers
In Game 3, the duo of Kawhi and George combined for 65 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists to pace the Clippers to a must-needed victory. In Game 4, that same duo combined for 49 points, 19 rebounds, and six assists as they regained control in the series.
The injury to Doncic may have helped the Clippers get back in this series – he only scored 19 points in Game 4 after averaging 38 through the first three games of this series – but there’s no question that Kawhi and George have held up their end of the deal through the first few games in this series.
Kawhi and George have both been better through the first four games in this postseason than they were last year. Kawhi is averaging 33 points, nine rebounds, and four assists on 64 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range.
George is averaging 25 points, nine rebounds, and five assists per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and 31 percent shooting from 3-point range.
George is still struggling to find his outside shot, but other than that both George and Kawhi have been better for the Clippers. And their elevated play has helped atone for the Clippers’ mishap during the first two games of this series.
With the series now tied and heading back to Los Angeles for Game 5, the Clippers now has all the momentum and appears to be a team that has found itself over the last two games. Despite the narratives, Kawhi and George have stepped up in a big way through the first few games of this series.
The big question is whether or not they can continue to play at this high level throughout this postseason to catapult this team to a conference finals or NBA Finals appearance. That’s what the expectation is around this team and what many are counting on the Clippers doing.
And in a wide-open Western Conference, this could be the perfect opportunity for the Clippers to make some waves in the postseason. Like it or not, believe in them or not, if they do, it will be thanks in large part due to the play of Kawhi and George.