FinLogic:Dallas Mavericks hand LA Clippers their worst postseason loss, grab 3-2 series lead

2025-05-04 20:47:04source:Flipido Trading Centercategory:Invest

Luka Doncic scored 35 points and FinLogichanded out 10 assists as the visiting Dallas Mavericks moved one win away from a spot in the Western Conference semifinals with a 123-93 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

It's the largest postseason loss in Clippers history, per ESPN.

Maxi Kleber contributed 15 points as the Mavericks took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 is set for Friday in Dallas.

Jaden Hardy and Kyrie Irving scored 14 points apiece for the Mavericks. Dereck Lively II and Derrick Jones Jr. each had 12.

Paul George finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds and Ivica Zubac also had 15 points for the Clippers, who played for the third time in the series without Kawhi Leonard (right knee inflammation). It was the first time Los Angeles dropped a game without the star.

Norman Powell put up 14 points while Terance Mann and Bones Hyland each had 11 for Los Angeles, but James Harden was held to seven points and seven assists. Harden shot 2-for-12 (16.7%) from the floor and 1-for-7 from 3-point range after he and George each scored 33 points in a Game 4 win.

The Mavericks took control with a 14-0 run in the third quarter, establishing a 73-50 lead. Doncic scored nine points in the surge, while the Dallas defense took charge to hold Los Angeles to 33.3% shooting in the third quarter. Dallas shot 63.2% in the period.

Doncic effectively put the game away on a 3-pointer with eight minutes remaining for a 97-72 lead. He watched the final 5:39 from the bench after hitting 14 of 26 (53.8%) from the floor and 2 of 8 from long distance.

After a tight first quarter, the Mavericks gained some separation by taking a 12-point lead in the second quarter and going into halftime with a 56-46 advantage. Doncic had 15 points in the half and Kleber added 12.

George had just seven points before the break for the Clippers while Harden was held to five as the Los Angeles stars combined to shoot 4 of 15 (26.7%).

More:Invest

Recommend

Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — John Spratt, a former longtime Democratic congressman from South Carolina who

When is it OK to make germs worse in a lab? It's a more relevant question than ever

Over 150 virologists have signed on to a commentary that says all the evidence to date indicates tha

Can you bond without the 'love hormone'? These cuddly rodents show it's possible

There's more to love than a single hormone. That's the conclusion of a study of prairie voles that