Mavs Vs. Clippers II: Can The NBA Sequel Be Better?

The Clippers will throw elite defenders Kawhi, George and Patrick Beverly at Luka Doncic. Luka can win a game – maybe two – by himself. But ... DFW Sports Notebook

Whether you’re at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt’s End 5.21.21 …

*Sequels are rarely better and, honestly, I don’t have high hopes for Dallas Mavericks-Los Angeles Clippers II.

I know the Mavs will (maybe) have a healthy Kristaps Porzingis this time around and crowds of 12,000 at American Airlines Center will restore a legit home-court advantage for Dallas. But a year after losing in six games to the Clippers in the bubble, I see a similar outcome in this year’s first round. Mainly because the Mavs are still missing a key piece: A defensive stopper.

They traded Seth Curry and acquired grittier, more physical players such as Josh Richardson, Josh Green and Tyler Bey. But zero of those guys can stop Kawhi Leonard or Paul George with the game on the line.

The Clippers, meanwhile, will throw elite defenders Kawhi, George and Patrick Beverly at Luka Doncic. Luka can win a game – maybe two – by himself.

A healthy Porzingis. The additions of Dwight Powell and Jalen Brunson. There are reasons to believe the Mavs can push the Clippers, maybe even to a Game 7. But I struggle to believe they can actually win this series.

READ MORE: Full Mavs-Clippers Coverage HERE

*Quick, name six quarterbacks better than the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. According to the geniuses over at Pro Football Focus, those names are Mahomes, Brady, Rodgers, Wilson, Watson and Allen.

No problem there. Feels right.

Employing the seventh-best quarterback in the NFL should assure you peace of mind and a spot in the playoffs, right?

Meanwhile ...

*Sometimes life makes perfect sense. Drew Pearson will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame by Roger Staubach.

READ MORE: One Last HOF Hail Mary

*Baseball can be cruel, especially if you’re the Texas Rangers. In 2020 they signed free-agent pitcher Corey Kluber to be their ace. He lasted all of one inning before suffering an arm injury to end his season and his career in Texas.

Wednesday night Kluber was back in Arlington, no-hitting the Rangers for the New York Yankees. The Rangers have already been no-hit twice this season. Their last no-hitter? Kenny Rogers’ perfect game way back in 1994.

READ MORE: Rangers And Yankees Talking Trade?

The Cowboys have won a Super Bowl since the Rangers threw their last no-hitter.

*He’s loud. Obnoxious. Loquacious. Venomous. And, above all else, genuine. In an era of TV sports talking heads manufacturing passion and fabricating angles to ignite faux anger, Dale Hansen was nothing if not real.

The iconic Channel 8 sports anchor will retire after 38 years on the air Sept. 2. In my personal experience, Hansen was the ideal radio guest: One question and he would ramble for a good five minutes.

But he was more than a blowhard.

He broke the SMU scandal that led to the “death penalty” in the 1980s. He made expanded Sunday night sports shows a thing. He took on the thorniest social issues in his wildly popular “Unplugged” segments.

Hansen wasn’t always right, but he was always up for a spicy, authentic debate. Best thing about Dale: He would make the same arguments – with the same volume – over a margarita and a table of three as he would over the airwaves and an audience of a couple hundred thousand.

Typical Hansen, he jabbed Jerry Jones one last time on his way out the door: “There’s an old proverb that says all good things must come to an end, and it’s true, all good things do. I’ve been waiting 25 years for the Cowboys to win another Super Bowl and I can’t wait anymore.”

With the recent retirements of Randy Galloway, Mike Rhyner and now Hansen, DFW sports media has been all but de-clawed. The last straw will be Norm Hitzges.

*This just can’t be. But somehow it is. Last weekend, more DFW TV viewers watched WWE Smackdown than Rangers or Mavs games.

*Even at less than full capacity, NBA home-court advantages are indeed advantageous. How much so? Home teams are 5-0 in the Play-In Tournament with an average margin of victory of almost 18 points.

*One minute my younger brother, Roger, was going to bed bemoaning the Mavs having to play the Clippers again. Then, in an instant, he was awakened by the smell of smoke, the crackle of wood and – after a midnight emergency evacuation out what once was the front door – the sight of his house going up in flames.

*Hot.

*Not.

*Sneaked off to Oklahoma this week for a night of gambling at Winstar Casino in the booming metropolis of Thackerville. Drinks were $6, and there’s that annoying 50-cent “ante” per hand of blackjack, $1 for bets of $100 or more. Over the course of three hours, I paid approximately $50 just for the right to watch a dealer consistently turn a “6” face card into “20.” For years I’ve groused over why Texas would let all that dirty money escape to Louisiana and Oklahoma, but no way our Bible Belt legislators would ever … or hey, would they?

At least the Texas Destination Resort Alliance is bringing it to the table.

*Ten years ago the Mavs were on their way to the NBA championship. Now? They haven't won a playoff series since, and Dirk Nowitzki is engrossed in another sport.

*The COVID pandemic made fools of us all. At a high school in Collin County the decision-makers concocted a plan that allowed the school to hold a football season and a mask-less, shoulder-to-should panoramic senior photo, but no prom. What the what?!

*Jordan Spieth is back. So, too, is the Byron Nelson buzz.

*They say that lightning doesn’t strike twice but… tornadoes? Different owners, but same house. What are the odds?

*I hate TV ads. But I love Skittles TV ads.Quirkiest, funniest in the biz. So much so that, yes, I bought a bag this week.

*Rangers nosedived into an 0-6 road trip last week. First time they’ve done that since 1991. Ouch.After consecutive 2-0 losses to the Yankees, they have now lost nine of 10 and haven’t scored in 22 innings. Double ouch.

*Left sock on. Right sock on. Left shoe on. Right shoe on. Are there really monsters out there that do it differently?

*RANGERS RISK: We all think the Texas Rangers are going to be putrid this season. Our lil’ roundtable revealed predicted win totals of anywhere between 61 and 78, but no one thinks .500 is plausible. Let’s put our money where our mouth is. I’m going to bet a virtual $100 against the Rangers every game this season and, after six months and 162 games, see where I wind up. I’ll keep a running tab right there each Friday and come September I’ll (wink) disperse my profits to my most loyal readers. RECORD: 19-27. TOTAL: -$238.

*This Weekend? Saturday let’s play a tennis appetizer before Mavs-Clippers Game 1. Sunday is helping younger brother move into his new home. As always, don’t be a stranger.