Luka Doncic buried a step back three-pointer with 1:26 remaining to give the Dallas Mavericks a commanding nine-point advantage, resulting in a 96-93 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round, evening the series up at 1-1 on Tuesday night at Crypto Arena.
“We played 48 minutes of physical basketball,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Both teams were under 100. It was ’90s basketball at its best.”
Game 3 will take place on Friday in Dallas at 5:00 p.m.
“One game at a time. Look at Game 3 as an opportunity to steal one, and move from there,” said Paul George following the loss.
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Doncic finished with 32 points, nine assists and six rebounds while Kyrie Irving added 23 points and three steals for Dallas, who were able to use a 14-0 run late in the fourth while holding the Clippers scoreless for nearly four minutes.
P.J. Washington added 18 points, six rebounds, two blocks, and one steal for the Mavericks while shooting 5-10 from the field and 3-4 from long range.
Dallas held Los Angeles to 36 percent shooting from the field and 26 percent from long three-point range, missing 22 of 30 shots from long range.
“Our defense was great. Held this team to 96 points, couldn’t ask for anything better. Just offensively needed to be better,” Clippers coach Ty Lue said.
Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup for his first game since March 31 after dealing with inflammation in his right knee and looked like a player that was still getting his legs under him.
“I felt good,” Leonard said. “We still got more games to play and more time to get better. Just keep trying to get a rhythm back.”
Leonard finished with 15 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of play for the Clippers.
“Kawhi is one of the best in the world. He’s gonna find his rhythm. We’re gonna find our rhythm around him… I don’t like to look at moral victories. We lost… But it is great having No. 2 back out there with us,” George said.
George and James Harden led Los Angeles with 22 points apiece while Ivica Zubac added a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
The Mavericks led 45-41 at halftime but it was the Clippers who outscored Dallas 25-20 in the third period to take a 66-65 lead into the fourth.
Norman Powell made a three-pointer and Zubac converted a lay-up to extend the Clippers lead to 73-67 with 9:32 left in the fourth only before the Mavs quickly responded with a huge run.
“We just wanted to respond tonight and I feel like we set the tone defensively and with our aggression out there…I just love being physical. It’s all fun and games for me,” said Washington, who scored 10 points in the fourth for Dallas.
Dallas rallied off 14 consecutive points to take an 81-73 lead after Washington made a three-pointer, followed triples from Doncic and Irving and another jump shot by Irving to cap the run.
“The second half is the way we should play the whole game,” Doncic said. “We got to learn from that.”
Los Angeles trailed 93-90 after a Leonard lay-up with 20 seconds left but Irving ended the game making 3 of 4 free throws to retake a 96-90 advantage and George converted a three-pointer at the buzzer, resulting in the 96-93 loss for the Clippers.
“We’ve got to be better as a unit, overall. It starts with me. Even if I’m winded, I have to find a way,” Leonard said.
