The LA Clippers faced the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night in the in-season tournament at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. And it?s yet another loss for the Clippers after observing a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. The star guard, James Harden, failed to perform again, this being his third time in a row. James Harden made his debut against the New York Knicks, amassing a loss for the Clippers. Furthermore, the double-digit defeat against the Mavericks tonight points out that the franchise needs to rework its offensive strategy.

Since James Harden is not the primary ball-handler for the Clippers, the Frenchman was bound to bow down tonight. Facing the best offensive team, this loss was somewhat of a foreseen event for the Clippers. Let?s look at crucial takeaways from tonight?s game.

1. Fitting James Harden into that system would be difficult for Ty Lu

James Harden, when on friendly terms with Daryl Morey, used to point fingers at the guidance of the head coach. And hence, Morey would replace the coach to suit Harden?s claims. However, this is not a ?Morey Shield? game where the coach would be replaced to bring in Mike D’Antoni. However, managing the lineup to suit Harden might be a colossal task for Ty. Although Harden and Westbrook are familiar with each other’s playing style, it might take some time for Leonard and PG13 to get used to it. In the meantime, Ty Lu has to arrive at a solution to break down the chaotic lineup a little bit.

2. Luka goes full charge against the Clippers

Luka Doncic might have made a secret promise to someone to kill the Clippers whenever he sees them. The center was indeed a scoring machine tonight, with a goal from the initial unit itself. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving scored buckets after another in the second quarter, 47-18, creating a significant leap for the Clippers to undo. Thereby, the 44-point score, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists to support the claims are in line tonight. Along with that, the 27-point score, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists dropped by Irving also contributed to the stellar win.

3. Despite serious depth issues on defense, the Mavs look sorted as a team

The Dallas Mavericks are the most impactful offensive team in the conference. However, the lack of depth is indeed a concern with Luca’s lack of participation on the defensive side. The Mavericks fall short of having a defensive stopper who can take the top assignment and make a meaningful impact. The franchise is in desperate need of a low-man who can make timely rotations. After all, Luka Doncic fails to offer a shield in case of dribble penetration. After sustaining a loss against the Toronto Raptors this season, the Mavericks have gone strong on their defensive tactics for the night. Fetching yet another win to add to the achievements, the second seed in the Western Conference won the game 144-126.

Read More: ?You Are The Problem?: Mavs Announcer Destroys James Harden, Giving Daryl Morey His Flowers

The Los Angeles Clippers have their next game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena. While the Memphis Grizzlies are carrying a two-game losing streak, the Clippers will be up after sustaining a continuous loss in the last four games. The Memphis Grizzlies lost against the Utah Jazz tonight, so they might come off as a pumped-up team in the next game. Whatever the case, the Clippers have to amp up their game and stock up Harden to go back in time and become “the most difficult to guard.”

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