Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard Will Guard Luka Doncic More in Game 2

Expect more Kawhi on Luka in Game 2.

Farbod Esnaashari | May 23, 2021

Ty Lue says Kawhi Leonard Will Guard Luka Doncic More in Game 2 /

Luka Doncic torched the Clippers in Game 1, and Ty Lue wants to make sure it doesn't happen in Game 2.

Kawhi wasn't matched up a ton individually against Doncic in Game 1, but it seems like that's going to change moving forward.

Well, he has to carry a lot of the load offensively, we have three or four guys that we can put on him and mix it up," Ty Lue said. "But I think you'll get what you're asking for come Tuesday."

The biggest issue with Luka is that he's a matchup nightmare who can get switched onto nearly anyone and score. He's too quick for bigs like Ivica Zubac, and too big for guards like Patrick Beverley. He had 30 points in three quarters against the Clippers, but LA did a fantastic job of bottling him up in the fourth quarter. Luka Doncic ended up only scoring 1 point in the fourth quarter on 0/5 shooting.

Defensively, the Clippers didn't play too awful in Game 1 against the Dallas Mavericks. There were a ton of moments they left Dorian Finney-Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. wide open, but the duo also hit some contested shots. The Clippers ultimately lost Game 1 from their offense failing them, and an inability to prevent any second-chance points.

"We had a couple of defensive breakdowns down the stretch," Ty Lue said. "The one where Finney-Smith made a three to put them up 103 to 100. It was still a three-point game with two minutes to go and we took a tough shot, a tough three-point shot, coming down in transition and it was contested, instead of just playing through the game. After that, missed some free throws, which it's going to happen. Kawhi got a mid-range pull up at the free-throw line, which is his shot, which he didn't make."

The Clippers face the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 on 5/25 at 7:30 pm PT.

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