TNT on Friday: Nets/Mavericks, Lakers/Clippers

Tonight’s TNT doubleheader featured two Western Conference teams hoping to avoid the Play-In Tournament. How did they fare on Thursday night?

Hello and welcome to another edition of Thursday Night Thoughts (TNT) on Friday! In this space I will give my takes on both games of the NBA’s premiere weekly broadcast. Do you have any thoughts on last night’s doubleheader? Hit me up on Twitter and let me know!

Dallas Mavericks 113, Brooklyn Nets 109

FINAL BOX SCORE

The Dallas Mavericks have been the most vocal critics of the Play-In Tournament. Luka Doncic says doesn’t understand the idea of it while Mark Cuban called it “an enormous mistake”. Luckily for them, they’re currently safe from having to participate in this “mistake”. They entered the evening tied with the Lakers at 38-28, but a tiebreaker over LA helps them hold fifth place in the Western Conference with LA sits at sixth. Both teams entered Thursday a half-game ahead of seventh-place Portland. If the Mavs want to avoid that dreaded Play-In, they’ll have to keep winning games.

Their Thursday night victory over the Brooklyn Nets certainly helped matters. It was a substantial win over an elite team that was only missing the Harden prong on their Big Three pitchfork. The game was a competitive shootout with 19 lead changes that only saw a double-digit margin on three quick occasions (all by Dallas) late in the first quarter.

They only real separation came in the fourth quarter when Dallas came together to stave off a 15-point fourth quarter from Kyrie Irving. They shot 12-of-20 (60 percent) from the field in the period, with six different players getting at least a bucket. The Mavs also blitzed Brooklyn in the paint 18-8.

By contrast, the Nets couldn’t collectively keep up with the home team, shooting just 8-of-23 from the field in the fourth. Irving went 5-of-11, but the rest of the team went 3-of-12, including Kevin Durant’s 1-of-7. Only four Nets made a field goal in the last quarter.

The point guard duel between Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving was also very fun to watch. Doncic finished the evening with 24 points, 10 rebounds, eights assists, and two steals. Despite a shaky 7-of-22 (31.8 percent) night from the field, he still went 5-of-13 (38.5 percent) from 3-point range. He also had six turnovers, but whenever he was on the court it still felt like he was in control. Doncic’s team needed the win, and he found a way to lead them to victory.

Irving, on the other hand, was on a completely different level. KAI came away with 45 points — a new season high! — on 54.8 percent shooting from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) shooting from beyond the arc. He’s just such a fun player to watch, and tonight wasn’t any different. He’s such a wizard! Besides dunking, he can do whatever he wants with the basketball in his hand. He showed that on this night with his numerous points off the dribble, rather he was stepping into a 3-pointer, or Uncle-Drewing his way into the paint for a score. It’s always a great time when Kyrie Irving is feeling it, even if it ends up being in a losing effort.

Los Angeles Clippers 118, Los Angeles Lakers 94

FINAL BOX SCORE

The Los Angeles Lakers feature another NBA personality that isn’t thrilled with the Play-In Tournament’s existence: The King himself, LeBron James. Earlier this week he said that whoever came up with the idea “should be fired“. Part of me is still hoping he was being sarcastic. Regardless if he was or wasn’t, his team is trending towards becoming a part of it, entering the game 2-6 in their previous eight games. If they want to stay out of the Play-In, they have to turn things around now.

Alas, the Lakers couldn’t get the job done against their in-house rivals. The Clippers were in control from start to finish, ending the evening with a .532/.419/.885 shooting split. This contrasts with the Lakers’ .379/.278/.621 split.

The tone of the game was set in the second quarter, where the Clippers outscored the Lakers 36-22. The Clips outgunned the Purple & Gold in that period by shooting 12-of-16 (75.0 percent!) from the field against their opponent’s 7-of-18 (38.9 percent). Paul George led the way in that stanza with 12 points off of three 3-pointers and three free throws.

This is a great win for a Clipper team that’s on a mission of redemption this season. They are showing that their three-game skid last week was merely a bump in the road. They were 17-3 up until that rough patch, but have now won back-to-back games since. 19-6 since March 20th. Not bad at all.

Speaking of bad, the Lakers had a bad night get worse when they lost Anthony Davis late in the first quarter due to back spasms, though it looked in the moment as if he tweaked his right ankle. Either way, he indicated postgame that he intends to play Friday against Portland.

And, boy, will they need him Friday. The Lakers and Blazers are now tied for sixth in the Western Conference at 37-29, with Los Angeles holding the tiebreaker. Friday’s game might very well determine which of these two teams will end up in the Play-In Tournament. Oh, the intrigue!

The Lakers have already been barely getting by without LeBron, who has missed 22 of the their last 24 games. Having AD for such a pivotal game will at least give this team a fighting chance against Portland, though the team is now 2-6 since Davis’ return.

Considering the Los Angeles Lakers are the defending champions, and they feature two of the league’s top players when healthy, it’s a little surprising to see them in this position in the first place. But here they are.