The Mavericks handed the Clippers their worst loss in franchise history

The Dallas Mavericks gave the Los Angeles Clippers all they could handle in the opening round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs inside the bubble. While the heavily-favored Clippers would eventually win the series in six games, it was a tough, physical matchup that included a magnificent Luka Doncic buzzer-beater and certified Dallas as a team to watch in the future.

The Mavs knew they only had to wait until the third game of the new season to extract some level of revenge, and they did it in a big way on Sunday afternoon. With Kawhi Leonard resting, Dallas walloped the Clippers 77-27 in the first half. The Mavs’ 50-point lead was the biggest at the half in league history since the NBA adopted the shot clock.

Dallas would go on to win the game, 124-73. The 51-point loss is the biggest in Clippers franchise history.

Doncic finished with 24 points in 26 minutes despite missing all five of his three-point attempts. Doncic almost out-scored the Clippers by himself in the opening half, entering the break with 18 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, which is one more assist than Los Angeles had as a team.

Luka was getting whatever he wanted.

None of Leonard’s Clipper teammates could pick up the slack with him out. Los Angeles shot just4 34 percent from the field and hit only 4-of-33 attempts (12.1 percent) from three-point range. The Clippers also got dominated on the glass 54-36 despite star big man Kristaps Porzingis being out for Dallas.

The Mavericks forced the Clippers into 12 turnovers and finished with just six themselves.

The Mavericks entered this game at 0-2 and the Clippers entered at 2-0, but you’d never know it from this game. Kawhi Leonard might have an MVP case off the box score from this one alone.

Let’s hope this is a precursor to another great playoff series.