Clippers’ Tyronn Lue lauds defense of Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, but ‘we have the blueprint’

As the Mavericks finished their Thursday morning practice in their Design District training facility, less than a mile away, across Stemmons Freeway, the Clippers filtered onto the court in American Airlines Center.

This playoff series is tied 1-1. The pressure seemingly has shifted to the Clippers entering Friday night’s Game 3 in AAC, but no one would have guessed that Thursday from their words and demeanor.

Daunted? Five current players and coach Tyronn Lue were part of the Clippers team that in 2021 came to American Airlines Center with an 0-2 series deficit, fell behind 30-11 in Game 3, yet won all three meetings in Dallas and took the series in seven games.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lue said Thursday. “Every game, every series, every year is different. We’ve got to come in and take it. We have the blueprint; so now we’ve just got to follow it.”

Granted the Clippers’ 96-93 Game 2 loss Tuesday in Crypto.com Arena at least momentarily cost them homecourt advantage. Yes, Luka Doncic is averaging 32.5 points in two games and has surprised the Clippers with his prolonged defensive intensity – and success.

Doncic, however, is shooting 42.3% from the field, including 34.6% from 3-point range. And the Mavericks haven’t topped 97 points in two games.

“They’ve got a great crowd; the place gets really loud,” sixth-year Clippers center Ivica Zubac said. “It’s gonna be tough, but we’ve won games here before . . . If we play defense like we have so far and play a little better on offense, we’re gonna have a pretty good chance to win.”

On offense, the Clippers have hunted Doncic in an attempt to tire him and exploit his defensive weaknesses. To a lesser extent they’ve hunted Kyrie Irving.

But in Game 2 Clippers players shot 2-of-17 against Doncic when he was the primary defender -- and Los Angeles shot 36.8% as a team.

“I thought we maybe got a little too stagnate, trying to attack him,” Lue said. “He did a good job. He sat down. He took the challenge and he really defended. Kyrie did the same thing.

“It changes their team a lot. Kyrie’s picking up full-court. Luka’s taking the one-on-one challenge. . . When your best players step up and do that, it means a lot. It sets a tone for your team.”

Lue and counterpart Jason Kidd both said on Thursday that they expect the physicality of the first two games to continue through the series.

If a battle of attrition helps decide the series, the Clippers so far are winning on that front. On Game 2 they welcomed Kawhi Leonard from a three-week knee injury absence. Lue said that Leonard emerged fine physically after playing 35 minutes in Game 2, but Lue isn’t sure whether the medical staff will allow Lue’s minutes to be ramped.

For Dallas, conversely, Tim Hardaway Jr. sprained his right ankle and will miss Game 3. Meanwhile Daniel Gafford didn’t practice Thursday due to back spasms and is questionable for Game 3.

Gafford in 24 minutes has three points and one rebound in the series, and if he’s unable to play Friday it further aids the Clippers’ ability to dramatically reduce Dallas’ lob opportunities.

“Their game plan is to make Luka score, I don’t know if we can get them back,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “We’ve got to take what they give us. And right now that’s what they’re giving us, to see if Luka’s gonna take those shots and be able to make them.”

When asked Thursday why his team has been effective in taking away lobs, Lue smiled.

“I can’t remember,” he said.

Slipped your mind?

“Yes, sir.”

Doncic is still scoring, equaling his career playoff average, but he’s doing so less efficiently. And his assist average is down, from 9.8 in the regular season (second-best in the NBA) to 7.5 in this series.

Since Lue is being coy, allow Clippers sixth man Norman Powell to explain why Dallas is getting so few lobs.

“There’s a concerted effort of taking away the roller, with the weakside defense being really pulled in and communicating our rotations,” he said. “It’s being really locked in.

“We know they like to do that out of the pick and roll, Luka and Kyrie. We’re making them skip the ball to the other side of the floor, taking away the looks inside the paint.”

In NBA history, when seven-game series are tied at 1-1, the winner of Game 3 has gone on with win 74% of the time since the league went to its current playoff format in 1983-84.

As they practiced less than a mile apart Thursday, separated by a highway, the Clippers and Mavericks seemed equally confident that they’ll be the team that takes control of the series.