Had the result been different, Friday’s Game 3 would have been a crowning achievement on every level: of the Mavericks’ unexpected success against the favored Clippers, of Luka Doncic’s brilliance setting yet another postseason career-high, of the effectiveness and availability of the COVID-19 vaccines that allowed 17,705 fans to cram into the American Airlines Center, of the raucous and reverberating arena atmosphere that has been completely absent from sports for well over a year.
But the results weren’t. The Clippers beat the Mavericks 118-108, and the bated celebration was instead focused in another direction, one perhaps best summarized by a departing fan who shouted at the media section as he walked by: “Make sure you write about Kristaps, man!”
I very nearly replied: “Oh, I am.
