With the series tied2-2, the Mavs and Clippers will play Game 5 tonight in what promises to be yet another exciting postseason matchup.
To what extent does a 3-2 lead following tonight matter? Well, in the annals of the NBA Playoffs, the odds of a club going on to win the series while they’re down 3-2 are 84% (288-55). At the beginning of the game, this increases to 86% (72-11). For good reason, many people consider a Game 5 with a 2-2 tie to be the pinnacle of swing games, and this series is no exception.
After four games in the playoffs, James Harden has perhaps the league’s finest run.
by systematically exploiting the Mavericks’ weaknesses on attack and defense, and by some miracle, they’ve maintained a high level of competition even without Kawhi. On the flip side, Kyrie is exhibiting his finest basketball performance since the Cavaliers’ championship run.
But I’d also like to use this opportunity to bring up another possible consideration in the upcoming Game 5 tonight. Perhaps we are on the verge of receiving the Jordan Flu Game as envisioned by Luka Doncic.
Curious, huh? A Jordan Brand athlete falling ill with the “flu” just before a pivotal Game 5 away against a Western Conference team? Wow, I don’t know where we’ve encountered anything such previously.Yeah, I see. MJ’s Well-Known Flu Game!Okay, so the last time Michael Jordan did this, it was in the NBA Finals; this is obviously the first round. Please don’t miss the objective of my blog, which is that everything is in place for Luka to have his very own MJ Flu Game moment, regardless of the circumstances or facts. Every indicator is present.As if things weren’t already crazy enough, the Bulls lost Game 4 of the CHI/UTA series by four points while playing on the road. In Game 4, the Mavs suffered a 5 point road setback. Not exactly the same, but with a little twist.I’m simply stating that I’m already seeing it. It would not be dissimilar to MJ’s 38/7/5 in the 90-88 Bulls victory in 1997 if, despite Luka’s obvious exhaustion on the bench, he mustered the strength to chuck up a 30/12/13 and the game went down to the wire. Assuming you can let your mind wander a bit and believe in something that may or may not be true, it all makes incredibly perfect sense.In addition to Luka’s knee sprain, I’m not sure if Michael Jordan also had a sore knee in 1997. Regardless, this game has all the hallmarks of a Flu Game 2.0, and it could be just what the Mavs need to take back the series and return home with a shot at ending the Clippers’ season.