San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
DALLAS SEIZES HOME-COURT EDGE
It took three quarters before Luka Doncic finally went quiet. The damage was already done, although his teammates kept the pressure on in the fourth.
Mavericks 113, Clippers 102
Doncic scored 31 points and the Mavericks outshot the NBA’S leading team from 3-point range, beating the host Los Angeles Clippers 113-102 on Saturday in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
Doncic was held to one point in the fourth on a free throw.
“We won the game,” he said. “That’s all that matters for me.”
Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points and Dorian Finney-smith had 18 for the Mavs, who led most of the game. Doncic and Hardaway Jr. made five 3-pointers each, and Finney-smith had four to help Dallas shoot 47 percent from longrange.
“I just know they’re going to send two guys at Luka. You’ve just got to be ready to shoot,” Finneysmith said.
The Clippers gave up 68 points to four other players besides Doncic, including 14 to 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis.
“We’re a strength-in-numbers operation,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. “Luka is a great player and KP is a great player, but as a team we know that everybody has got to be ready and pull their weight when called upon.”
Kawhi Leonard had 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, and Paul George added 23 points. But they were a combined 3 of 14 on 3-pointers. As a team, the Clippers were 11 for 40 after leading the NBA at 41 percent during the regular season. Marcus Morris missed all six of his attempts.
“Our spirits are still high and we believe in ourselves,” Leonard said. “Nothing good comes easy.”
Game 2 is Tuesday night at Staples Center.
“I plan on this team bouncing back,” George said.
The Clippers didn’t make more than three 3-pointers in a quarter until the fourth, when they hit four.
Dallas controlled the closing minutes, ending the game on an 18-5 run. The Clippers were limited to two baskets — both by George — over that stretch.
“We had a lot of bad plays, a lot of breakdowns, but when we were dialed in we had a great stretch where we took over the game,” George said. “That’s just got to be us all 48 minutes.”
Bucks 109, Heat 107 (OT): Khris Middleton broke a tie with a jumper with 0.5 seconds left in overtime and had 27 points to help host Milwaukee beat Miami in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.
Middleton was closely guarded by Duncan Robinson on the 19footer.
Miami’s Goran Dragic had tied it with a corner 3-pointer with 20.6 seconds left in OT. After Middleton’s shot, Jrue Holiday blocked a 3-point attempt from Jimmy Butler as the buzzer sounded.
Game 2 is Monday night in Milwaukee. Miami beat Milwaukee 4-1 in the second round last year and went on to reach the NBA Finals.
Butler forced overtime by making a buzzer-beating driving layup past Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose free-throw woes prevented the Bucks from putting the game away earlier.
Antetokounmpo had 26 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, but was just 6 of 13 on free-throw attempts.
Nets 104, Celtics 93: Brooklyn’s Big Three went from way off to off and running.
Kevin Durant had 32 points and 12 rebounds, Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and the Nets recovered from their superstars’ frigid start to beat visiting Boston in Game 1 of the first-round series.
James Harden finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in just the ninth appearance of the season for the trio together. The three combined to go 0 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half, then stormed out of the locker room with an 18-4 run to open the third and swing the lead the Nets’ way for good.
Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, but shot just 6 for 20 and couldn’t come to his 50-point effort in the play-in tournament, when Boston beat Washington to earn the No. 7 seed.
Trail Blazers 123, Nuggets 109: Damian Lillard scored 34 points and had 13 assists as visiting Portland won Game 1 of the series. CJ Mccollum scored 21 points and Carmelo Anthony added 18 off the bench for the Blazers.
Nikola Jokic scored 34 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for Denver and Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points and nine rebounds.