Clippers outclass Dallas in the start of the playoffs
Even without superstar Kawhi Leonard and world champion Daniel Theis, the Los Angeles Clippers got off to a dream start in the play-offs of the NBA professional basketball league. At the start of the championship round, the Californians gave the Dallas Mavericks with national player Maximilian Kleber no chance at 109:97, the guests from Texas presented themselves weakly.
In front of club idol Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas was particularly disappointing in the first half. They only managed 30 points, and the shooting rate was weak, only two of 18 three-point attempts ended up in the basket (11.1 percent) – nothing came together for the Mavericks. LA had to do without Leonard again due to inflammation in his knee.
The top scorer for the Clippers, for whom Theis did not play, was James Harden (28). Mavs key player Luka Doncic scored 33 points on Sunday in the Crypto.com Arena, Kleber had three points and three rebounds.
The Clippers qualified for the play-offs as fourth in the Western Conference, Dallas in fifth. Game two of the best-of-seven series will take place again in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
NHL: 13-goal spectacle at the start of the play-offs in Winnipeg
There was a 13-goal spectacle in the first round of the playoffs in the North American professional ice hockey league NHL. The Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-6 at home in game one of the series. Four wins are necessary to advance to the next round.
The best defense in the main round, led by perhaps the best keeper in the league at the moment, Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, conceded three goals in the first third – but also scored three goals themselves. The spectators were also treated to a real exchange of blows, in which the Jets were able to pull ahead 6:3 and 7:4 in the third period. Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor each scored twice.
Basketball: Wagners start the play-offs with bankruptcy
The basketball world champions Franz and Moritz Wagner lost their first game in the NBA play-offs. In game one at the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Wagner brothers lost to the Orlando Magic 83:97. The game was characterized by tough defense on both sides, but the Magic revealed some weaknesses in attack.
Against the much more well-known team from Ohio, Orlando had problems from the start, but held up well defensively. Thanks to a strong run after half-time, the guests worked their way back into the game after a 14-point deficit.
However, several attempts by the Magic to catch up were unsuccessful; the hosts repeatedly recovered and stabilized their lead. Star playmaker Donovan Mitchell (30 points) was particularly impressive. Franz Wagner (22), who was in the starting line-up, had a mixed first play-off game with 18 points and seven rebounds; he only scored some of his points in the final phase. Moritz (26) came off the bench and scored ten points.
The second duel in the best-of-seven series is on Tuesday night (1 a.m. CEST), and will be played again in Cleveland. The Wagner team has home advantage for the first time in the third game.
Hartenstein's Knicks start the play-offs with a win
Isaiah Hartenstein and the New York Knicks started the play-offs of the NBA professional basketball league with a win. The second-best team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 111:104 to open the best-of-seven series in Madison Square Garden. Center Hartenstein had six points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes of playing time.
The Knicks impressed with a unified team performance, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart each scored 22 points, and Miles McBride came off the bench with 21 points. Tyrese Maxey scored 33 points for the Sixers. Last year's league MVP Joel Embiid was injured on the visitors' side after a dunking while landing, kept his left knee, which was operated on in February, but returned after a break and scored 29 points.
Defending champion Denver Nuggets led by top star Nikola Jokic (32 points, twelve rebounds) took a 1-0 lead in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers with a 114:103. For the Lakers, who only qualified for the final round of the best 16 via the play-ins, Anthony Davis (32 points) and LeBron James (27) were, as usual, the top scorers. The Nuggets had already won the three duels in the regular season with the Lakers and prevailed 4-0 in the 2023 semifinal series.
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