(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks didn’t show up to play in Game 1.
The Los Angeles Clippers got the best of them on both ends of the floor, and that’s despite not having Kawhi Leonard available.
That’s not a great sign for Jason Kidd’s team, especially if Leonard is able to suit up at some point in the series.
More than that, it seems like even one of their star players isn’t so sure about the Mavs’ chances.
Following the loss, Kyrie Irving claimed that they failed the test, adding that he doesn’t even know whether they should be favored in this series (via Ben Golliver).
Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving after Game 1 loss to Clippers:
– “This was a great first test for us and we obviously failed.”
– “I don’t know if we’re even the favorite in this series.”
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 21, 2024
Even if that’s the case, perhaps having one of your best players going on record to say that isn’t great for good morale.
Of course, Irving has rarely done things the common way, so this might be taken with a grain of salt.
Also, maybe he’s just trying to lower the expectations to increase the reward for a potential win in this series.
Irving and Luka Doncic put up their usual numbers, but most of their points came when the game was already way out of reach, so the box score was quite misleading.
The Clippers dominated from start to finish, and Jason Kidd will have to hit the drawing board and make several adjustments on both ends of the court to have a chance in this series.
Still, the Mavs were one of the best teams in the league to close out the season, so they shouldn’t be counted out after just one bad game.
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