Serge Ibaka I came back this Sunday with Los Angeles Clippers after their brief stint in the G League and the Angelenos defeated the Los Dallas Mavericks, which for the third game in a row did not have the injured Luka Doncic.
Ibaka He played 12 minutes off the bench and got 6 points (2 of 8 shooting), 4 rebounds and a steal in front of 2 losses.
The Spanish-Congolese pvot returned on November 7 against the Charlotte Hornets, after more than five months without playing due to a back injury, and also played two days later the game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, Ibaka later asked his coach, Ty Lue, to go temporarily with the Agua Caliente Clippers of the G League development league so that he could add more minutes and continue with his set-up.
On the other side, Doncic it was doubtful until the last minute and he was even warming up at the Staples Center before the game, but finally the Slovenian missed his third game in a row (three consecutive Mavericks losses).
This was the first time Clippers y Mavericks faces are seen after last season’s exciting first round of the playoffs in which the Angelenos won 4-3 despite Doncic’s magnificent performances.
The Clippers (10-7) scored a victory today more by trade than by brilliance thanks to Paul George (29 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists) and Reggie Jackson (23 points and 4 assists).
Nico Batum It was a last minute discharge due to the coronavirus protocol.
For the Mavericks (9-7), Kristaps Porzingis (25 points and 8 rebounds) and Jalen Brunson (20 points and 8 assists) were the most outstanding in a game very marked by the poor aim of the visitors (6 of 30 in triples).
INTERIOR DUEL
In the absence of Luka Doncic, one of the incentives of the match was the European duel in the area: the Latvian Kristaps Porzingis against croatian Ivica Zubac.
At the beginning, the Mavericks won, who with their versatility and outside shooting dominated the start of the game with 6 points (12-12 with 4.38 left).
Serge Ibaka I then entered the track eager to get up to speed as soon as possible.
More willful than effective (1 of 4 in shots), the pvot scored 4 points before the end of the quarter -including a mate-, he fought with everyone in the zone, forced several fouls and gave the feeling of playing with more confidence and security. than in their first two encounters after the injury.
After an unattractive first quarter and a slight visitor dominance (19-22), the Clippers They tried to wake up in the second set but they found a Jalen Brunson that did not stop bothering from the perimeter and penetration (30-39 with 4.53 for the break).
The Clippers’ reaction was slow but it came before intermission.
An impressive dunk by Paul George over Dwight Powell, an increasingly insistent Zubac and 8 straight points in the last two minutes by Reggie Jackson – including two triples – left the game wide open for the restart (46-47).
PAUL GEORGE AT THE ATTACK
It seemed that the encounter was waiting for someone willing to take control and Paul George He was the first to ask to speak.
With 7 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter – in the entire first half he had only scored 8 points -, the forward hit the table with a 12-5 run that left the Mavericks touched (58-52 with 7.43 to be played).
The offensive jam from Dallas was very worrying, but Brunson and Porzingis joined forces to support theirs.
Ibaka returned to the court with 4.20 remaining in the third quarter and contributed to close the rebound for some Clippers who, without doing anything extraordinary, reached the last quarter ahead (71-62).
The appearance of Boban Marjanovic it served as a stimulus for some Mavericks who were already in a rush.
The Serbian giant scored 6 points in just over three minutes and placed the visitors on the brink of the comeback (78-75 with 7.33 to go).
A 9-0 four-handed run between George and Jackson threatened to dilute the Mavericks’ resistance, but Brunson brought Dallas back into the game (88-83 with 3.22 remaining).
Porzingis took advantage of the local low quintet to damage the area.
Nevertheless, George he threw the Clippers on his back and Jackson put the icing on the cake with a skillful and lucky penetration that certified the Angelenos’ victory.