Luka Doncic

Kawhi Leonard's first foray in the postseason with the Los Angeles Clippers begins with a potentially tricky matchup against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. 

The defensive skills of Leonard and Paul George will be put to the test in the first-round series against a team that played solid basketball during the eight seeding games in the bubble. 

How well Leonard and George contain the Dallas offense could alter the betting markets throughout the series as well. The Clippers and Mavericks have the only over/under set above 230 for Game 1. 

The scoring expectations are much lower for the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers because of the way the Heat limited the scoring of the Pacers' top players in their previous clashes. 

If Miami keeps up its high defensive standard against Indiana, the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs could be set fairly quick. 

            

NBA Playoffs Schedule

The 2020 NBA Playoffs begin TOMORROW (8/17) with games ALL DAY starting at 1:30 PM ET on ESPN! #WholeNewGame

Full Schedule: https://t.co/qmJ2KbzYSe pic.twitter.com/hwfAcYBaPA

— NBA (@NBA) August 16, 2020

Game 1 Odds

Monday, August 17

Utah vs. Denver (-3) (Over/Under: 217.5)

Brooklyn vs. Toronto (-9.5) (O/U: 221.5)

Philadelphia vs. Boston (-5.5) (O/U: 219.5)

Dallas vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-6) (O/U: 230.5)

    

Tuesday, August 18

Orlando vs. Milwaukee (-11.5) (O/U: 224)

Miami (-3.5) vs. Indiana (O/U: 216)

Oklahoma City (-1.5) vs. Houston (O/U: 227)

Portland vs. Los Angeles Lakers (-5.5) (O/U: 228)

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook and Vegas Insider.

          

Predictions

Los Angeles Clippers over Dallas in 5

Although most people are buzzing about the first-round matchup on the other side of the Western Conference bracket between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers, the Clippers and Mavericks could have the more intriguing series. 

The inside-outside combination of Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis could cause some trouble for the Clippers. 

Porzingis could take charge of the paint matchup with Ivica Zubac, and if he can get the Clippers center into foul trouble, he could take advantage of battles against Patrick Patterson and JaMychal Green.

In their first regular-season meeting, Zubac played 17 minutes and 52 seconds because of foul trouble and Porzingis recorded a double-double. 

Even with the Clippers using bench players down low, they still found a way past the Mavericks behind 54 points out of George and Leonard. 

Los Angeles went on to win the other two matchups and held Doncic beneath 30 points in two of those contests. 

If Doncic matches his 30 points per game from the seeding games, he could give Dallas the chance to win a game or two against the Clippers. 

If that output is backed up by decent performances from Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry, who were solid in the seeding games, the Mavericks could have backcourt scoring depth to be competitive.

That might not be the case for the Blazers against the Lakers if one or both of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are frustrated by the defense of LeBron James and others. 

While there could be an abundance of players featuring in the box score, there is no guarantee we will see a high-scoring series, like the oddsmakers predict. 

Only one of the three contests between the two sides eclipsed 230 points, and if Doncic is unable to hit the 30-point mark, the under could be the play for Game 1 and beyond.

            

Miami over Indiana in 5

The series between Miami and Indiana carries the most intrigue in the East, but it could be over without being too competitive. 

Both Milwaukee and Toronto are expected to cruise through their matchups, and Boston is a heavy favorite over Philadelphia. 

The promise for the No. 4 vs. No. 5 series to go the distance could be quelled by Miami's defensive prowess, led by Jimmy Butler. 

In the August 10 win over Indiana, Butler shut down T.J. Warren in the second half and no Indiana player scored more than 15 points. 

The good news for Indiana is Butler can only guard one player at a time, but it has not received the necessary production from other scorers to down the Heat. 

In two meetings in December and January, the only Indiana scorer to reach over 20 points was Domantas Sabonis on January 8. Sabonis is currently out with an injury. 

If the Heat continue to slow down Indiana's top scorers, they could overwhelm their first-round foe with the scoring depth they worked on in the bubble. 

In its first six seeding games, Miami had five or more players reach double digits. Between the three-point prowess of Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo's strength down low, Butler scoring from all angles and others chipping in when needed, the Heat could have too much scoring depth for Indiana to keep up with.

            

Other Picks

Milwaukee over Orlando in 4

Toronto over Brooklyn in 5

Boston over Philadelphia in 5

Los Angeles Lakers over Portland in 5

Denver over Utah in 6

Houston over Oklahoma City in 6

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Basketball Reference.

As the Los Angeles Clippers prepare for their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, head coach Doc Rivers had high praise for Luka Doncic's skill set. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, Rivers said Saturday the Mavs superstar combines the scoring ability of Larry Bird with Jason Kidd's passing. 

This actually isn't the first time those two Hall of Famers have been brought up when assessing Doncic's talents. 

Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle had this assessment when speaking to reporters after his team's 136-132 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Aug. 8: "He knows where everybody is not only on offense, but defense. That's the sign of a savant-type guy. I've played with Larry Bird, he could see everything like that. I had the privilege of coaching Jason Kidd ... Luka is in that same mold."

Just 21 years old, Doncic has established himself as arguably the best young star in the NBA. He finished this season averaging 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. 

Dallas is in the postseason for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Doncic's contributions are the main reason for the team's 43-32 record this year and why its future looks so bright. 

The Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard and Houston Rockets' James Harden headlined the NBA All-Seeding Games teams announced Saturday.

Here's a look at the complete group of selections, which were made based solely on play during each team's eight games to finish the 2019-20 regular season in the NBA's "bubble" at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida:

                  

First Team

Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)

Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)

Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)

James Harden (Houston Rockets)

T.J. Warren (Indiana Pacers)

                      

Second Team

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)

Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers)

Caris LeVert (Brooklyn Nets)

Michael Porter Jr. (Denver Nuggets)

Kristaps Porzingis (Dallas Mavericks)

                 

Lillard's Blazers were the league's most underperforming team before the season was halted March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Their 29-37 record was far below their talent level, though injuries to frontcourt starters Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins played a role in the struggles.

Portland looked like a far more dangerous team in the bubble. Nurkic and Collins returned, but the more important factor was the elite play of Lillard, who scored at least 20 points in all eight games, including monster scoring performances of 61, 51, 45 and 42.

The five-time All-Star selection was also named the MVP of the seeding games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC26M8aspsA

Meanwhile, Harden averaged 34.1 points across seven bubble games to clinch his third consecutive NBA scoring title. It's unclear why he seemingly fell out of the overall MVP conversation, which has become a debate between Antetokounmpo and the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James.

Houston will enter the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the loaded Western Conference.

Booker and the Suns won't take part in the postseason, but they were the other major story of the bubble, winning all eight of their games to miss the play-in tournament on a tiebreaker.

The 23-year-old sharpshooter continued to prove himself as one of the NBA's top scorers, averaging 30.5 points while shooting 50.3 percent from the field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT_DWb3NoIg

Doncic posted a trio of triple-doubles in the bubble, while Warren was one its breakout stars, highlighted by a 53-point explosion against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies will battle for the final playoff berth in the West beginning Saturday. Memphis needs to beat Portland two straight times to claim the spot. A single Blazers win will push them through to a meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers.

All other series will kick off Monday or Tuesday.

The final week of the 2019-20 NBA regular season had no shortage of highlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3bhdGsyiZU

Of course, any talk about the NBA right now starts with Damian Lillard. The Portland Trail Blazers star came in at No. 2 on House of Highlights' top plays of the week with his 45-foot three-pointer against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. 

However, Lillard's unlimited shooting range wasn't good enough to beat out Kyle Kuzma's game-winning three in the Los Angeles Lakers' 124-121 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Check out the full list of top 10 plays from the past week, including Luka Doncic going between his legs to find Maxi Kleber and Devin Booker nearly breaking Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's ankles.

For all that's unique about the 2019-20 NBA season, the Western Conference playoff field looks typically loaded.

It isn't all the way cemented just yet, as four clubs are fighting for the Nos. 8 and 9 seeds and the ticket they'll provide to the weekend's play-in tournament. But the other three-first round matchups in the conference—and all four of the East's series—are all set, even if a few seeds could change.

Some of the matchups are already generating major buzz. Joel Embiid motoring forward without Ben Simmons to battle the Boston Celtics should be incredible to watch. James Harden and Russell Westbrook facing Chris Paul and the Oklahoma City Thunder feels like destiny. The Los Angeles Lakers are always on the radar, and they could draw one of the bubble's hottest teams.

After laying out the latest bracket and scheduling information, we'll break down three off-the-radar first-round series you won't want to miss.

                

Current Playoff Bracket

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic

No. 4 Miami Heat vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers

No. 3 Boston Celtics vs. No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers

No. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 7 Brooklyn Nets

                   

Western Conference

No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers

No. 4 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets

No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Utah Jazz

No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks

                   

First-Round Scheduling and Broadcast Information

Play-In Game No. 1: Saturday, Aug. 15 at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC

Play-In Game No. 2: Sunday, Aug. 16 at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN (if necessary)

First-Round Start Date: Monday, Aug. 17

First-Round Latest End Date: Sunday, Aug. 30

TV: ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBATV (Broadcast schedule to be determined)

                 

Underrated First-Round Series

Heat vs. Pacers

The Jimmy Butler-T.J. Warren beef will be billed on the marquee, and maybe it should be. Butler is the leader of the Heat, and Warren has led the bubble Pacers. NBA drama doesn't get much better than when a pair of top talents are going back-and-forth.

But that's hardly the only reason to keep watch.

They'll enter the playoffs having faced off twice in the seeding round's final week. That's enough to flare up emotions in what's already an intense situation.

Then, there's the unsettled future of Victor Oladipo (a known target of Miami's in 2021), which will surely be discussed at length throughout this series. Add two of the top defensive bigs to the equation (Bam Adebayo and Myles Turner), and there are narratives to follow other than the heavyweight rematch between Butler and Warren.

                  

Nuggets vs. Jazz

The Jazz aren't holding the West's No. 6 seed without fleecing the Nuggets a few times on draft night.

It started in 2013, when Utah traded up to grab Rudy Gobert and sent Erick Green and cash to Denver. Gobert is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and two-time All-NBA selection. Green played 52 games across two NBA seasons before continuing his career overseas.

It happened again in 2017, as the Jazz moved up to add Donovan Mitchell for Trey Lyles and Tyler Lydon. Mitchell debuted as a 20-points-per-game scorer and has only increased his output since. He booked his first All-Star trip this season. Lyles gave the Nuggets two mediocre seasons before signing with the San Antonio Spurs last offseason. Lydon played just 26 games in Denver, was allowed to leave in free agency after only two seasons and is out of the league now.

That subplot gives this series a fascinating backdrop, but the basketball itself holds the biggest appeal. Gobert and Nikola Jokic are two of the best centers in the game. Mitchell and Jamal Murray are two of the top young scorers. The Nuggets have massive wild cards in Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol. The Jazz have another gear (or more) defensively and still seem like they can get more out of Mike Conley.

"It's a really good matchup," Jokic said, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net. "It's always kind of tough between us and them. It's going to be a really interesting series."

                

Clippers vs. Mavericks

It shouldn't be possible for this series to fly under the radar.

One team hails from L.A. The other resides in Dallas. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are on one side of the matchup. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are on the other. Even the coaches, Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle, are household names.

And yet, the early attention in the West seems most focused on Westbrook battling his old team and Harden going against his old team and more recent running mate (Paul). If the Blazers or even the Suns secure the No. 8 seed after a blistering bubble run, their matchup with the Lakers won't hurt for attention.

So, yeah, somehow it does seem possible this star-studded affair could be relatively glossed over.

It shouldn't be, of course. Judging by net efficiency rating, the series has the league's third- (Clippers) and sixth-best (Mavericks) teams. Leonard and Doncic are on the Association's short list of full-fledged superstars. George and Porzingis are two of the best costars in the business. The marquee players are supported by impressive depth on both sides.

This could quietly be the best series of the first round.

The Portland Trail Blazers took another important step toward clinching a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament Tuesday with a 134-131 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at Walt Disney World Resort.

The Trail Blazers have won two in a row and are 4-1 in their last five games after Damian Lillard led the way once again in the latest effort. They are in a heated battle for the two slots in the play-in series with the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns but are a half-game ahead and the only one in the group with No. 0 taking over in crunch time.

Not only did he make multiple key threes down the stretch, but he also drew an offensive foul on the most important play of the game.

As for Dallas, it saw its two-game winning streak come to an end and is now locked into the Western Conference's No. 7 seed after entering play one game behind the sixth-seeded Utah Jazz.

Dame draws the charge 😮 https://t.co/BKT8gDSY0h

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 12, 2020

OH MY DAME TIME https://t.co/nkqnbtQVcA

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 12, 2020

Damian Lillard is now up to 61 pts tonight in the Blazers-Mavs game.

It is his 3rd 60+ pt game this season. The only other player in NBA history with at least 3 60-pt games in a season is Wilt Chamberlain (15 in 1961-62, 9 in 1962-63). pic.twitter.com/LsAegwCi25

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 12, 2020

          

Notable Player Stats

• Damian Lillard, G, POR: 61 PTS, 8 AST, 5 REB, 17-of-32 FG, 9-of-17 3PT
• Carmelo Anthony, F, POR: 26 PTS, 8 REB, 2 STL, 10-of-17 FG, 3-of-5 3PT
• Kristaps Porzingis, F, DAL: 36 PTS, 6 REB, 2 BLK, 12-of-17 FG, 7-of-9 3PT
• Luka Doncic, G, DAL: 25 PTS, 10 AST, 8 REB, 8-of-19 FG, 2-of-8 3PT
• Tim Hardaway Jr., G, DAL: 24 PTS, 6-of-11 FG, 3-of-8 3PT

     

Pressure Doesn't Faze Dame in Another Brilliant Performance

It is hard to script a more pressure-packed situation outside of an actual playoff game than the one Portland faced Tuesday.

By the second quarter, the Trail Blazers were in a four-way tie for the two play-in spots after the Spurs beat the Houston Rockets, Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers and Grizzlies fell to the Boston Celtics. It was more of the same for Phoenix, which is 7-0 in Florida, and Memphis, which is a mere 1-6 and lost its grip on the No. 8 seed.

That meant Portland would have taken over the No. 8 spot by itself with a win and fallen behind all three teams with a loss.

Dame Lillard is a 𝕄𝔸𝔾𝕀ℂ𝕀𝔸ℕ pic.twitter.com/ZX0Ghlkd1Z

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) August 11, 2020

If it ain't broke @Dame_Lillard ! pic.twitter.com/dEzlHq14um

— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) August 11, 2020

You'd think Damian Lillard was the GOAT if you just started watching the NBA last month. This is bonkers.

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) August 12, 2020

Dame is SMOOTH coming off screens. #WholeNewGame pic.twitter.com/Pi2McM5Jc6

— NBA (@NBA) August 12, 2020

The appropriate intensity was there from the start, as the Trail Blazers poured in 38 points in the first quarter alone and finished it on a 15-0 run. Lillard did what he always does, unleashing his silky smooth stroke from the outside and finding lanes to the basket when defenders pressed up on that shot.

His mere presence tilted the floor against Dallas' defense, which consistently had to pick him up nearly 30 feet from the basket and create opportunities for swing passes and open looks elsewhere. It was also all the more important because CJ McCollum struggled throughout with his shot (2-of-14 from the field).

Lillard has been completely dialed in during the seeding games with so much at stake and averaged 33 points in the first six, including his 51-point outburst against Philadelphia.

The five-time All-Star is already considered one of the best perimeter playmakers in the league and has only further cemented his status in the bubble. Portland needs one more of those performances to cement its play-in tournament spot.

             

Porzingis Continues to Show Mavericks More Than Luka Show

There is no questioning Luka Doncic's greatness.

The reigning Rookie of the Year runs the show for Dallas with his head-turning vision as a facilitator, ability to create angles on the way to the basket and nearly unstoppable step-back three-pointers.

Tough to stop Luka when he's doing this 👀 https://t.co/BEA1qReI1a

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 11, 2020

Luka Dončić is 21 years old... pic.twitter.com/G15W0oac3c

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) August 12, 2020

He wasted no time flashing the skill set Tuesday with a step-back from way downtown and a number of impressive passes, but Dallas will need both members of its one-two punch to compete in a Western Conference playoffs that will be loaded with dynamic duos.

Kristaps Porzingis looked up to the task against Portland.

The big man established himself on the blocks in the early going and even caught Lillard in a switch before scoring easily over him. He then finished an alley-oop from Trey Burke and moved to the outside and drilled multiple threes on the way to 16 points in the first quarter alone, underscoring what a difficult individual matchup he is for any defender.

KP WITH THE HAMMER 🦄🔨#MFFL | https://t.co/U2xxTvLtmx pic.twitter.com/RZVqlwivmR

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) August 11, 2020

Kristaps cooking in the 1Q 🔥

16 PTS
6-9 FG
2 3PT pic.twitter.com/ytslLI4wXo

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) August 11, 2020

Hey, @DallasFireRes_q there's a unicorn on fire, can you help us? 🔥🦄🔥#MFFL pic.twitter.com/Ru4B1dqnUU

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) August 12, 2020

KP makes 🏀 look very easy #MFFL | @txuenergy pic.twitter.com/IDY62JSg5v

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) August 12, 2020

The former New York Knick has been dominant in the bubble, scoring at least 22 points in every game.

Tuesday was another notable performance, and his ability to play at his best alongside Doncic will likely determine Dallas' playoff fate.

           

What's Next?

Both teams finish their seeding-game schedule Thursday. The Mavericks face the Suns, while the Trail Blazers play the Brooklyn Nets.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the reigning NBA MVP and the favorite to win the award again this year, but Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic looked like the best player in the world in Saturday's 136-132 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Doncic finished with 36 points, 19 assists and 14 rebounds in the overtime victory and had a few highlight-reel plays along the way:

STOP IT LUKA 😳

(via @dallasmavs)pic.twitter.com/4TPveDPnjJ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 9, 2020

This pass by Luka 🤯 https://t.co/B24eQya14S

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 9, 2020

It was enough to earn high praise from Antetokounmpo after the game.

"Talented, really talented. One of the most talented guys I've ever played against," the Bucks forward said, per Matt Eppers of USA Today. "He's making the whole team better, and he's going to keep getting better. As long as he's making his team better, they're going to be tough to beat."

The Mavericks (42-30) are currently just the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, but they will be dangerous in the playoffs and especially scary in future seasons. After winning the Rookie of the Year Award last year, the 21-year-old Doncic is averaging 29.1 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game in 2019-20.

Production like that will put him alongside Antetokounmpo in the MVP race for years to come.

Luka Doncic has ascended to become easily one of the 10 best players in basketball in his second NBA season. He just doesn't think that level of improvement merits being in the Most Improved Player conversation.

The Dallas Mavericks star, who is a finalist for the award alongside Bam Adebayo and Brandon Ingram, said he believes Charlotte Hornets guard Devonte' Graham is more deserving.

"Take me off the list and put Devonte' Graham on there. I don't deserve to be on there," Doncic told Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.

Respect ✊🏾 https://t.co/LfzcWI8HJb

— Devonte Graham (@Devonte4Graham) August 9, 2020

Doncic has a point. While his progression has been noteworthy, it was more of a natural year one to year two leap for a future superstar. Had Doncic not made this improvement, some may have considered his sophomore NBA season a disappointment.

Graham, meanwhile, blossomed from looking like a G Leaguer his first NBA season to getting some outside All-Star consideration. Here is a breakdown of how his first two seasons looked:

2018-19: 4.7 PPG, 2.6 APG, 1.4 RPG, 34.3 FG%, 28.1 3PT%

2019-20: 18.2 PPG, 7.5 APG, 3.4 RPG, 38.2 FG%, 37.3 3PT%

The leap is nothing short of astounding and on par with those made by Adebayo and Ingram, who are considered the two favorites for the award.

Graham's case was likely damaged by the Hornets' 23-42 record and spending the season well out of the national purview. He is also simply not on the level on his best day as the three nominees, all of whom should wind up multi-time All-Stars.

That said, by the definition of "most improved," Doncic is correct.