There were many factors contributing to the Dallas Mavericks' 123-93 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, but the night boiled down to this:
In a pivotal Game 5 still missing Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers' three stars tasked with leading the offense came out flat and remained steady as Doncic and the rest of the Mavericks regained the advantage in the series, with a chance to seal it in Game 6 in Dallas on Friday (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) .
When a team wins Game 5 of a series previously tied 2-2, it leads 81.7% of the time.
Dončić was the best player on the floor despite suffering a right knee sprain from Game 3 as well as an upper respiratory ailment. He admitted before the game that he probably wouldn't have played in his condition in a regular-season game, instead leaving the Clippers looking sick:
Maxi Kleber had a rejuvenating night, shooting 5 of 7 from 3-point range for 15 points. Kyrie Irving had his moments too, including lifting the ball extremely high:
The match was competitive at the beginning, as the two teams exchanged the lead 12 times in the first quarter. The Mavericks built a small lead in the second quarter, then extended it to double digits with a quick run late in the second quarter.
This was the third quarter in which Los Angeles truly lost the game. The Clippers only made one field goal in the first seven minutes while the Mavericks' offense continued its tempo, putting the game out of reach. The backups were midway through the fourth quarter.
The 30-point margin was the largest loss in Clippers playoff history.
It might be unfair to point to one game as evidence that a team isn't putting up the fight it needs to be, but there was a particularly tough play in Game 3 when Irving got a steal on an errant pass from George. The result was a two-on-one fastbreak of Irving and Doncic against Westbrook. Some solid defense by Westbrook blew up the play, but unfortunately, Westbrook was the only player the Clippers bothered to put down.
Then came Derrick Jones Jr.:
It's a familiar spot for the Clippers, as they fall behind in a series in which they appear to have a chance, despite missing a player they bet on as a contender. They won the two games Leonard missed earlier in the series, but Game 5 showed how difficult it will be to get them back in Games 6 and 7.
If the Mavericks close out the series on Friday, Game 5 will be the Clippers' final home game at Crypto.com Arena before moving to the lavish Intuit Dome in the Intuit Dome next season. It won't be a pretty exit.
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”
