Perhaps the Dallas Mavericks were looking forward to winning their first win of the season, after a 0-2 at the start of the season. Or maybe there was some residual strain after falling to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the postseason inside the bubble. Whatever it is, the Mavericks has been putting up a scoring clinic in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon and has made history along the way.
Dallas had a 77-27 lead in the half over the Clippers, a 50-point margin that happens to be the biggest gap deficit in NBA history. The Clippers are without Kawhi Leonard after the franchise’s centerpiece suffered a blow to the mouth that left him bloody on Christmas Day against the Nuggets. Still, give credit to the Mavericks, as they have gone on a mission and are performing it perfectly.
The Mavericks hit 50 percent of the 3-point territory in the first half, with everyone joining Josh Richardson’s throwing wave to James Johnson, and Luka Doncic has been at the center of the Mavs’ attack by clicking on all cylinders. The third-year guard managed 13 efficient points, six rebounds and four assists in just 12 minutes of action, while Richardson doubled another 13 points to accompany the stifling defense on the other side of the court.
A 50-point lead is shocking, but considering that the Mavericks had the most efficient attack in NBA history last season, it’s not surprising to see this team being part of this historic statistic.
For the Clippers, some serious work will be needed to get back into this game. LA is throwing only 7% depth and 20% field without any Clippers players scoring double digits in the first half. O the lowest number of points the Clippers have scored in the history of the franchise is 63 in 1972 (when they were the Buffalo Braves) and lost to Milwaukee Bucks. There is a real possibility that the franchise could set a new record on Sunday, if it doesn’t turn the tables in the second half.