Clippers-Mavericks: 5 takeaways as Luka Doncic fuels Recreation 5 win – NBA.com

Luka Doncic grinds by a dominant efficiency, whereas Dallas' protection stifles LA to take a 3-2 sequence lead.
Michael C. Wright
With Luka and Kyrie getting loads of assist from the position gamers, Dallas now has an opportunity to shut out the sequence at dwelling.
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LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic ambled off the ground for the evening, untucking his jersey with 5:39 left and his crew main by 30.
That lopsided margin remained on the finish, because the Dallas Mavericks captured Recreation 5 on Wednesday with a decisive 123-93 win against the LA Clippers. The victory offers the guests an 82.5% likelihood to take this series because it heads again to Dallas on Friday for Recreation 6 (9:30 ET, ESPN).
Traditionally, Recreation 5 winners of a 2-2 sequence advance at that 82.5% clip.
Dallas handed LA its worst loss in franchise postseason historical past.
Doncic scored 20 factors of his 35 factors within the second half.
“Within the playoffs, it doesn’t matter for those who win by one otherwise you win by 50,” Doncic advised TNT throughout his postgame interview. “It’s nonetheless a superb win. However the job will not be achieved. We have to win yet one more.”
Listed here are 5 takeaways from the matchup:
1. Banged up Doncic is battling
Doncic led Dallas with 35 factors, seven rebounds and 10 assists. However his general sequence numbers point out he’s struggled.
Don’t low cost the attention check, although, as a result of that factors to a franchise chief grinding laborious to get it achieved.
Doncic shot terribly from 3-point vary in Recreation 5. He’s achieved that every one sequence.
However keep in mind, Doncic sprained his proper knee within the opening quarter of Game 3. The setback has restricted his motion ever since, regardless of him taking in in depth remedy classes through the break between Video games 4 and 5.
Doncic admitted he’d “in all probability not” proceed to play on the knee if the Mavs have been nonetheless within the common season.
That is the playoffs, although.
Doncic has responded accordingly on each ends of the ground.
The damage has affected the five-time All-Star’s manufacturing. Regardless of tallying his fourth profession postseason triple-double in Recreation 4, Doncic entered Recreation 5 capturing 38.6% from the sector and 27.1% from deep.
Doncic didn’t hit his first 3 in Recreation 5 till 2:22 remained within the third after lacking his first six makes an attempt from distance. We noticed not less than three cases within the first half the place Doncic struggled defensively to remain in entrance of his man.
In the end, he produced his fourth profession postseason outing in opposition to the Clippers with 35 factors and 10 assists. Oscar Robinson is the one different participant in league annals with that stat line in 4 video games in opposition to a single opponent (Boston).
Contained in the NBA: Mavs are at their greatest when Luka Doncic will get others concerned
2. Mavericks enhance on gradual begins
Dallas bucked its development of gradual begins, taking a 25-24 lead within the first quarter that swelled to 10 factors at intermission. Bear in mind: the Mavs hadn’t scored greater than 23 factors within the opening body of the primary 4 contests, averaging 19.8 factors on 35.9% from the sector and 15.6% from deep.
The Mavs entered this one sitting at minus-36 within the first quarters of the sequence.
Credit score Doncic and Maxi Kleber with the increase. The duo mixed for nearly half of Dallas’ factors earlier than halftime. Doncic reeled off 15 factors on 15 field-goal attempts, whereas Kleber contributed 12 factors, capturing 4-for-6 from 3-point vary.
Doncic scored eight factors within the first quarter and dished three dimes to go along with 4 rebounds. Derrick Jones Jr. contributed seven factors over that span, making 3-of-4 makes an attempt with two blocks.
The matchup featured 12 lead modifications within the first half.
The Clippers surrendered 10 factors off 5 turnovers.
Apparently, the standard suspects in LA didn’t present a lot scoring punch. Ivica Zubac and Terrance Mann did that with 13 and 11 factors, respectively, over the primary two quarters.
Stars James Harden and Paul George mixed to shoot 4-for-15.
Dallas launched into a 13-4 run to shut the primary half. In the meantime, LA missed 14 3s in a row to begin.
3. Capturing woes sink Clippers
You’d count on LA’s capturing to enhance with the sequence transferring to Crypto.com Area, the place the Clippers have been 31-23 getting into Recreation 5.
It didn’t. Actually, it worsened.
That’s in all probability irritating for LA, contemplating it’s 30-3 this season when it shoots 50% or higher. You could possibly say the 3-ball has been key for the Clippers up so far within the postseason.
LA knocked down 18 3-pointers in every of its wins on this sequence.
4. Perhaps LA isn’t higher off with out Kawhi Leonard
The 2 LA wins this sequence with out Leonard amounted to idiot’s gold, partly due to James Harden’s decline in Recreation 5.
Harden had established himself because the Clippers’ most constant performer by the primary 4 contests. In Recreation 5, the 2017-18 Kia MVP disappeared, scoring seven factors on 2-for-12 shooting with 4 turnovers.
Harden’s groups at the moment are 4-8 all-time within the playoffs when he scores fewer than 10 factors.
“He didn’t shoot the ball properly,” LA coach Tyronn Lue mentioned. “They tried to stand up and strain slightly bit, which we didn’t deal with like we’ve.”
No disagreement right here.
Within the two wins with out Leonard, Harden averaged 30.5 factors on 58.5% from the sector and 62.5% from 3-point vary. Within the two losses with out the two-time Finals MVP, Harden averaged 21.5 ppg on 48.1% capturing (38.9% on 3-pointers).
Harden led the Clippers in ppg (26.0), made 3s (17 complete), apg (7.0) and bpg (1.3) over the primary 4 video games.
Dallas held LA to fewer than 95 factors for the third time this sequence. The Clippers scored fewer than 95 simply thrice within the common season.
5. Maxi Kleber caught 3-point fever
No. 7 in postseason minutes for the Mavericks going into Recreation 4, Kleber proved to be the highest canine from deep in Recreation 5. The seventh-year veteran scored 15 factors over the primary 4 video games of this sequence, draining 4-of-8 from 3-point vary.
Kleber matched his playoff complete in Recreation 5 with 15 factors on 5-for-7 capturing from 3-point vary whereas the remainder of the crew was 9-for-32.
Kleber was 4-for-5 from deep within the second quarter as Dallas constructed a 12-point lead.
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Michael C. Wright is a senior author for NBA.com. You’ll be able to e-mail him here, discover his archive here and observe him on X.
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