Luka Doncic Leads Dallas Mavericks to Game 5 Victory Over Clippers, Lead 3-2 in Series

LOS ANGELES — With all eyes on Luka Doncic’s ability to power through a right knee sprain and an illness, he led the Dallas Mavericks to a 123-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series. He racked up 35 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds after shooting

Among the adjustments the Mavericks made was to more frequently deploy double big lineups with Maxi Kleber on the court next to one of Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II. It was challenging for the Clippers to attack the paint or get clean looks from beyond the arc, proving to be the result of Dallas tightening up significantly on that front.

Doncic got off to a strong start in the game, getting to the rim more frequently than in prior performances and having his short-range touch in his favor. He scored 15 points while shooting 7 of 10 from inside the arc. However, he continued to struggle to make his 3-point attempts, missing all five he took before halftime.

The Clippers were unable to receive additional dynamic performances from Paul George or James Harden in this match after they both dominated in Game 4. After the Clippers led by two points late the first quarter, Dallas began to take over and never looked after closing the first.

Aside from Maxi Kleber’s four made 3-pointers in the first half, the Mavericks sorely struggled in the perimeter shooting department, going 1 of 15 outside Kleber’s 4 of 6. Beyond Doncic’s 15 points, he added six assists and five rebounds at the break, while Irving had six points and five assists.

The Mavericks struggled to handle Terance Mann and Ivica Zubac throughout the first half, but the rest of the Clippers struggled to contribute. Both players added double-figure scoring, with Zubac having 13 points on 6 of 7 shooting and Mann adding 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting. The rest of the team had 22 points on 7 of 31 shooting at the break.

After a near 24-second shot clock turnover forced by the defense, the Mavericks pushed the pace with Irving throwing a no-look lob to Gafford for an acrobatic finish. The play put Dallas ahead by double figures for the first time, occurring late in the second quarter.

After a series of incredible plays from the Mavericks’ superstar backcourt, including a flashy behind-the-back move into an inside finish from Irving, later followed by Doncic hitting a tough short-range jumper, then Doncic finishing an and-one, Dallas had broken the game open. The Mavericks led by as many as 25 points midway through the third quarter, with Doncic and Irving making no shortage of savvy offensive plays and strong defensive execution to back them up.

There was a significant rise in the frequency the Clippers blitzed Doncic after Irving checked out of the game late in the third quarter. With Dallas deploying a bigger lineup, Doncic signaled to his unit to play out of Horns while having a big in the dunker spot, posing problems for Los Angeles.

The Mavericks closed the third quarter with a four-point play out of the corner from Josh Green being a big play. Dallas continued to control the momentum. Doncic hit a step-back 3-pointer after drawing Zubac on a switch, followed by Irving hitting a paint jumper, pushing the Mavericks’ lead to 27, and entering a timeout with 7:25 left to play.

Continuing to pour it on the Clippers, Doncic attacked the paint for an and-one on a floater to push the Mavericks’ lead to 30 points. He checked out after intentionally fouling following making his free throw. Dallas held a lead too substantial for Los Angeles to make a rallying effort.

The next installment of this series will take place on Friday, May 3, at American Airlines Center.