3 weeks ago
1 of 6 | Dallas Mavericks defender Luka Doncic (L) scored a game-high 32 points successful a triumph complete nan Los Angeles Clippers connected Tuesday successful Los Angeles. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
April 24 (UPI) -- Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving mixed for much than half of nan Dallas Mavericks' 96 points, sparking a comeback triumph complete nan Los Angeles Clippers and tying nan first-round playoff bid 1-1.
Doncic totaled a game-high 32 points, 9 assists and six rebounds successful nan 96-93 triumph successful Game 2 of nan Western Conference bid Tuesday astatine Cypto.com Arena successful Los Angeles. Irving Chipped successful 23 points, six rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
"I'm conscionable trying to person nosy retired there," Doncic told reporters. "The playoffs are fun. The strength is measurement higher. I'm conscionable going retired location to play difficult and person fun."
The Mavericks outshot nan Clippers 42.1% to 36.8%. They besides changeable 42.4% from 3-point range, compared to nan Clippers' 26.7% clip. The crippled featured 10 lead changes and was tied 9 times.
"The large point was to enactment together," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. "We've seen teams return nan lead. The large point is they genuinely judge they tin enactment together. We answered pinch nan run. We felt for illustration we had immoderate bully looks. The Clippers are a very bully team. We knew they weren't going to conscionable spell away."
Doncic scored a twelve points complete nan first 12 minutes, helping nan Mavericks transportation a 23-19 lead into nan 2nd quarter. Both teams scored 22 points complete nan adjacent 12 minutes. The Mavericks carried a 55-41 lead into nan 3rd quarter.
The Clippers past utilized a 7-0 tally to moreover nan people and went connected to transportation a 66-65 lead into nan fourth. They started nan last framework connected a 7-2 run. But nan Mavericks responded pinch a 14-0 surge to return a 81-73 lead pinch 5:18 remaining and ne'er trailed again.
The Clippers astir closed nan shortage respective times, but could not necktie nan people aliases return nan lead down nan stretch.
Doncic made 11 of 26 shots, including 5 of 14 from 3-point range. Irving made 8 of 18 shots, including 4 of 8 from downtown. Mavericks forwards P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 and 10 points, respectively.
Clippers defender James Harden and guardant Paul George scored 22 points apiece. Star guardant Kawhi Leonard, who returned from a knee wounded absence for his first crippled since March 31, scored 15 points successful nan loss.
The No. 5 Mavericks (1-1) will big nan No. 4 Clippers (1-1) successful Game 3 of nan best-of-seven bid astatine 8 p.m. EDT Friday successful Dallas. The victor of nan bid will look nan No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder aliases No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans successful nan Western Conference semifinals.
The Thunder hit nan Pelicans successful nan first crippled of that bid Sunday successful Oklahoma City.
