It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish…
Unless you finish the way you start.
Even before this year’s Clippers-Mavericks series began, the discussion about how different the Mavericks were depending on how they start a game was relevant. Dallas was 27-0 during the regular season when they led after the first quarter. They were only 15-30 when they tied or trailed after the first quarter.
In the first three games of this series, the Mavericks jumped on the Clippers with the quickness:
Game 1: Mavericks led 24-12 with 4:50 left in the first quarter, led 33-30 at the end of the first quarter, and won by 10.
Game 2: Mavericks led 22-13 with 5:46 left in the first quarter, led 35-33 at the end of the first quarter, and won by six.
Game 3: Mavericks led 30-11 with 4:38 left in the first quarter, led 34-31 at the end of the first quarter.
