Former Gators basketball star Dorian Finney-Smith recorded a playoff career-high to help the Mavericks earn a 113-103 Game 1 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Finney-Smith wasn’t the only former Florida player to make the NBA playoffs. Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal returned to the postseason for the first time in two years. He shined and netted 33 points in a narrow defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 6-foot-7-inch Dallas power forward made the Clippers pay when they left him open. His star teammate Luka Doncic poured in 31 points and 11 assists that forced Los Angeles to guard him full court. Its coach Tyronn Lue elected to send a double-team his way that forced him to surrender the ball.
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When Doncic or another Mavericks player found Finney-Smith, he nailed the open shots. He finished the game four for five from beyond the arc and added five rebounds and two assists.
“I just know they’re going to send two guys at Luka,” Finney-Smith said, according to ESPN. “You’ve just got to be ready to shoot.”
His coach Rick Carlisle praised his efforts following the win.
“He has great belief in himself,” he said, according to Mavs Moneyball. “His 3-pointer tonight was absolutely key to the win.”
Finney-Smith will need to stay hot from deep if Dallas hopes to knock off the Clippers. The Mavericks also stole home-court advantage. The series will continue in Los Angeles Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. EDT and can be seen on NBATV.
On the other hand, Beal and the Wizards hope to bounce back after a 125-118 loss to No. 1-seeded Philadelphia.
The former Florida diaper dandy tallied 33 points in the game but struggled from the 3-point line and only hit 16.7% of his shots. He failed to get help from his other all-star Russell Westbrook who only offered 16 in the game.
Game 2 remains in Philadelphia and tip off will be on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT and can be seen on NBATV.
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