Luka Dončić, Mavs Championed By NBA Fans After Eliminating Paul George, Clippers
May 4, 2024
Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks coasted to the Western Conference semifinals after defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series, closing out a 4-2 win.
The Dončić-Kyrie Irving combo ruled the night and propelled Dallas to Round 2.
Dončić posted 28 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Irving led all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting (5-of-9 from three) and drew the attention of a well-known former teammate as he scored 28 in the second half alone.
That was assuredly in response to this four-point play fadeaway, which further buried the Clippers' fading comeback hopes:
NBA @NBAOH MY GOODNESS KYRIE 🤯<br><br>Kyrie Irving sinks a RIDICULOUS 4-point play fadeaway to extend Dallas' lead on ESPN!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAPlayoffs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAPlayoffs</a> presented by Google Pixel <a href="https://t.co/K5L559adut">pic.twitter.com/K5L559adut</a>
Plus, Irving also remained undefeated when it matters most:
The Mavs also got great production from their bigs, with centers Daniel Gafford (13 points, six rebounds) and Dereck Lively II (10 points, nine boards) making huge plays:
Mavs power forward P.J. Washington also scored 14 points, including four three-pointers.
L.A. and Dallas entered halftime tied at 52, but the Mavericks' defense led to a dominant third quarter. Dallas started the second half on an 11-2 run before ending the third quarter on a 13-5 spurt to keep the Clippers at bay.
The Mavs held an 87-72 edge going into the third. Dallas led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter and possessed a double-digit lead throughout the entirety of the final frame for the win.
This was a rough night for the Clippers, who were playing without Kawhi Leonard due to right knee inflammation. L.A. shot just 41.5 percent from the field and 8-of-31 from three-point range.
Norman Powell's 20 points off the bench led the Clippers. Paul George (18 points) and James Harden (16 points) combined to shoot 11-of-34.
Ultimately, this was a well-deserved series win for Dallas, which crushed L.A. 123-93 in Game 5 before comfortably taking Game 6. Fans and analysts alike were impressed with their performance:
Dallas will now play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 2. Game 1 will take place on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET in OKC.