Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 in Game 6 of the first round of their playoff series, earning a 4-2 victory and advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.
The duo of Doncic and Kyrie Irving dominated the night, advancing Dallas to Round 2.
Doncic had 28 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Irving led all scorers with 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting (5-of-9 from 3) and scored 28 points in the second half alone, attracting the attention of prominent former teammates.
It was definitely a reaction to the fade away of this four-point play, further burying the Clippers' fading hopes of a comeback.
Additionally, Irving remained undefeated when it mattered most.
The Mavs also got some great production from their big teams, with centers Daniel Gafford (13 points, 6 rebounds) and Derek Lively II (10 points, 9 boards) making big plays.
Mavs power forward P.J. Washington also scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers.
Los Angeles and Dallas entered halftime with 52 points, but the Mavericks' defense dominated the third quarter. Dallas started the second half on an 11-2 run, and ended the third quarter with a 13-5 spurt to keep the Clippers at bay.
The Mavs held an 87-72 lead entering the third. Dallas led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter and held a double-digit lead throughout the final frame en route to the victory.
It was a tough night for the Clippers, who were playing without Kawhi Leonard due to right knee inflammation. LA shot just 41.5 percent from the field and 8-of-31 from 3-point range.
Norman Powell led the Clippers with 20 points off the bench. Paul George (18 points) and James Harden (16 points) combined for 11-of-34 shooting.
Ultimately, this was a well-deserved series win for Dallas, defeating LA 123-93 in Game 5 and then easily winning Game 6. Fans and analysts alike were impressed with their performance.
Dallas will face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round. Game 1 will be held in OKC on Tuesday at 9:30pm ET.
