The Dallas Mavericks had a sluggish start to the game, only scoring 2 points prior to a trip to the free throw line for DeAndre Jordan with 8:08 left in the first quarter. Dennis Smith Jr. and Luka Doncic then assisted on back-to-back DeAndre Jordan slams to bring the score to a 12-7 Clippers lead with seven minutes remaining in the quarter.
Dallas hung tough with Los Angeles for the rest of the quarter. The Clippers ended the first period with a lead of 29-26. DeAndre Jordan and Dennis Smith Jr. came out extremely aggressive.