Extremely lopsided defeats are often seen in high school basketball and even college basketball but it is rare to see an nba game where the preseason broadcast lasts longer than the competitive portion of the game itself. Unfortunately for basketball and/or Clippers fans, this was the for their game , and I use that term very loosely.
The Clippers were absolutely laid waste to by the Dallas Mavericks 124-73 in a matchup that was settled pretty early on. The Clippers never lead in the ball game and the 4-2 deficit on Josh Richardson’s jumper with 10:26 to go in the first quarter would be the closest the game would ever be. The Mavericks would outscore the Clippers 36-13 in the first quarter on the way to building a 77-27, yes you read that right, lead at halftime. The 50-point halftime cushion set a NBA record as the Mavericks went on to deliver a 51 point beat done , 124-73.
As embarrassing as it is to be blown off the floor in such a devastating manner it is magnified by the team on the receiving end, the clippers. These are not your father’s Clippers, these are not the Pooh Richardson Clippers, these are not the Eric Piatkowski Clippers, nor the Lamond Murray Clippers. This is supposed to be a new era of Clipper basketball filled with championship expectations led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. While this loss, as colossal as it was, should not derail this team’s season or hopes, any misstep no matter how big or small will inevitably hearken back to their complete and utter meltdown in last season’s playoffs. Nothing short of a championship will push this game, last year’s collapse and their overall reputation of futility.
