Stats Rundown: 5 numbers to know as the Mavericks lose Game 3 against the Clippers

The Dallas Mavericks let the Clipper back in the series with a 118 - 108 loss in Game 3. The defensive mistakes and free throw shooting woes which have plagued the Mavericks all series long finally cost them. Here are the numbers you need to know

65: The total number of points by Paul George and Kawhi Leonard

Both Clippers stars were absolutely phenomenal in Game 3 as they willed their team to a victory. They combined to shoot 24-of-35 from the floor and 12-of-12 from the free throw line in both dominant and efficient offensive games.

9: The total number of points by Kristaps Porzingis

Porzingis takes a lot of heat for the amount of production he fails to come up with and his defensive decline. Some of that heat may be over done at times but the fact is he simply must be better. The Mavericks did a poor job of getting him the ball after a positive start, but Porzingis must do a better job of getting himself involved as well. Late in the game he did get a couple of offensive rebounds so hopefully he realizes that is an area he can attack. The Clippers have two actualized superstars at this point, so one supernova and one theoretical star may not be enough for the Mavericks.

13: The number of points the Mavericks were outscored by in the 9 minutes, 24 seconds that Luka Doncic did not play.

The bench has to be more competitive given the extremely short amounts of time they have to hold the fort. They do not have to win the minutes Luka doesn’t play, but they can’t be outscored at a rate of more than a point per minute either.

0: The number of made 2 point field goals and assists Time Hardaway Jr. had combined

Tim Hardaway Jr. continued to be fantastic from three, shooting 4-for-6 but he was really bad outside of that area. Hardaway attempted to attack but got stymied repeatedly. He is at a pretty big length disadvantage when he goes inside and it showed tonight.

6: The number of free throws Luka Doncic missed tonight

It is easy to excuse given how fantastic he was in other parts of the game but Luka simply has to be better from the free throw line. Luka was 7-for-13 in the game and is now 13-for-27 in the series.

Bonus Stat: 2 The number of wins the Mavericks need to advance to the second round

Despite the loss, the sky is not falling. The Mavericks still have the best player in the series as Doncic was incandescent in putting up a 44 point, 9 rebound 9 assist game. The Mavericks are still the favorites to win this series given the position they have put themselves in. Don’t lose faith.

Here’s the postgame podcast, Mavs Moneyball After Dark. If you can’t see the embed below “More from Mavs Moneyball”, click here. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe by searching “Mavs Moneyball podcast” into your favorite podcast app.