The Mavs put up a valiant effort but losing Kristaps Porzingis (14 PTS, 6 REB) due to ejection made it difficult to get the Game 1 win. They still made it one hell of a battle, though, which was still withing striking distance late in the fourth quarter.

In his first NBA playoff game, Luka Doncic (42 PTS, 7 REB, 9 AST, 3 STIL) put on the type of well-rounded effort that we’ve gotten used to, but the Clippers defense also managed to harass him into 11 turnovers. The Slovenian assassin did not shy away from the spotlight, and it’s clear that he is ready for the big stage – as evidenced by him setting the new record for most points in a playoff debut.

The Clippers showed the type of balanced effort that are important in the playoffs, with six players scoring in double figures. They were paced on the offensive end by their superstars Paul George (27 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL) and Kawhi Leonard (29 PTS, 12 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL), who both made big shots in the fourth quarter.

There will be some complaints after the game from the Clippers, who shot less free throws as a team Doncic did alone. The Mavericks, on the other hand, will feel a little bit encouraged by being able to hang with the Clippers without their second star. It also doesn’t help that Doncic looked to tweak his ankle in the game, and was exhausted.

The Clippers actually started the game 18-2, but later found themselves behind by 14 points. They’re going to want to make sure they don’t give the Mavericks another chance to create a 30-point swing in Game 2. For now, they’ll have to be content with the 118-110 win.

Other results:

The Utah Jazz made a valiant effort in Game 1, but a legendary performance from Donovan Mitchell (57 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST) was not enough as they ran out of gas in overtime against the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic (29 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST) and Jamal Murray (36 PTS, 9 AST, 5 REB) led the Nuggets to the 1-0 series lead.

The Toronto Raptors started their playoff run with a 134-110 win against the Brooklyn Nets. Fred Van Vleet (30 PTS, 11 AST) set the tone for the defending champs.

Joel Embiid (26 PTS, 16 REB) had a monster night for the Philadelphia 76ers, but couldn’t will his team to victory without Ben Simmons on the floor against the Celtics. Jayson Tatum (32 PTS, 13 REB) and Jaylen Brown (29 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST) did enough to ensure the 109-101 victory.