Luka Doncic just loves Hollywood, doesn’t he?
Doncic dazzled with 35 points as four other Maverick scored in double figures in Dallas’ 123-93 Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, seizing a 3-2 series lead in their Western Conference Round 1 showdown.
Game 6: Friday, 9:30pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/eOAOI0z3XP
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2024
The Slovenian wizard also recorded seven rebounds and 10 assists, getting much needed help on offense from his teammates en route to the franchise’s largest margin of victory this postseason.
Doncic went on a scoring rampage in the third, dropping 14 points alone, including hitting this patent step-back triple to make it 83-58 with 2:26 seconds left.
Luka has 14 PTS in the 3Q of Game 5 on TNT pic.twitter.com/ZvuL945weG
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2024
That was before Dallas rode a 14-0 blitz, breaking the game wide open and turned a 59-50 advantage to a much comfortable 73-50 breakaway with 4:44 ticks left.
14-0 MAVS RUN ??
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2024
Kyrie gets the steal and pushes the pace leading to the DJJ poster 💥
DAL leads LAC in the 3Q of Game 5 on TNT pic.twitter.com/7VM8kYKfoJ
Dallas never looked back, outscoring Los Angeles, 98-69, in the final three quarters. The Mavericks move a win away from finally eliminating the Clippers for the first time in their three opening-round series showdown in the last five years.
Maxi Kleber came up big with 15 built on five triples, while Kyrie Irving added 14 and Derrick Lively and Derrick Jones Jr. adding 12 apiece.
TOUGH. 😱
— NBA (@NBA) May 2, 2024
Kyrie Irving gets the steal and goes COAST-TO-COAST for the and-1 finish on TNT!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/nivcbpPrY7
The Mavericks clamped down on defense, holding the Clippers to a dismal 38 percent shooting--including a horrible 26 percent clip from three-point range--and forced 15 turnovers.
On the other hand, Paul George and Ivica Zubac had 15 points apiece for the Clippers, who played their second straight game and third of the series without superstar Kawhi Leonard.
George went 4 for 13 and missed four of his six 3-point attempts, failing to assert himself offensively except during a brief stretch of the third quarter.
James Harden and Russell Westbrook also struggled, combining for a measly 4-of-23 from the field as Los Angeles faced elimination for the first time this playoffs.
With another loss, Los Angeles will have another back-to-back first-round playoff exit for the first time since the 2016 and 2017 postseason.
Game 6 of the series will be on May 5, Saturday, 9:30 a.m. (Philippine time) back in Dallas. And if necessary, Game 7 will be back in Los Angeles on May 6, Monday.
