Five thoughts from the Dallas Mavericks’ 116-111 loss in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers:

Bottom line

With a victory at home in Game 4, the Mavericks had an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 lead in this best-of-7 first-round series. How commanding? Entering this season’s playoffs, teams that have taken a 3-1 series lead have gone on to win 95.4% of the time: 268-13.

By losing Sunday afternoon, Dallas lost homecourt advantage and the series is tied 2-2. That sets up a pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday in Los Angeles. In NBA history, when series are tied at 2-2, the Game 5 winner goes on to win the series 81.7% of the time: 188-42.

The Rally

The Clippers took a 55-24 lead after James Harden’s 3-pointer with 5:43 left in the second quarter. Dallas stormed back by scoring 52 of the next 73 points to pull within 78-76 on a Kyrie Irving 3-pointer with 1:36 left in the third quarter.

The Clippers pushed the advantage back up to 92-81, but a Derrick Jones Jr. 3-pointer with 8:31 left in the game started another rally. When Luka Doncic’s 3-pointer with 5:03 left tied the score at 98, it marked the game’s first tie since it was 0-0.

Kyrie Irving’s layup with 2:14 left gave Dallas its first lead, 105-104, since it was 8-7 in the game’s opening minutes.

Paul George erupts

The self-anointed Paul “Playoff P” George entered Game 4 averaging 40% shooting while scoring only 51 points for the series, including just 9 points in Game 3. In Games 2 and 3 he totaled the same number of fouls as field goals: 10.

But in Game 4, George scored 16 points in the first quarter alone and had 26 by halftime to finish with 33. He was especially deadly from 3-point range, making 7-of-10 attempts.

No Kawhi, no problem

Clippers president Lawrence Frank announced before the game that there had been an “organizational decision” to sit six-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, due to a return of soreness and inflammation in his right knee.

Frank said it was clear to everyone in the organization, including Leonard, that he wasn’t himself in Game 3, when he scored 9 points and pulled down 9 rebounds while being limited to 25 minutes of court time.

“The obvious question I know is coming: ‘When’s he coming back?’ I can’t tell you a timeline,” Frank said. “I wish I had a crystal ball. It will just basically be until he can show that he can make all the movements that he needs to make. That’s when he’ll come back. That will be the timeframe.”

Much like when they played without Leonard in Game 1, the Clippers jumped out to a big early lead. In Game 1 they led 34-22 after one quarter. In Game 4 they 39-16 after one quarter.

Dallas defense falters

The Clippers scored 93 points in Game 2 and 90 in Game 3, marking the lowest back-to-back outputs by Mavericks opponents this season. On Sunday afternoon, though, the Clippers shot 61% in the first quarter and 54% for the game to finish at 116 points.

Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met privately in Miami, Florida on Sunday, a Republican with knowledge of the meeting confirmed to Fox News.

During the several-hour long meeting, DeSantis agreed to help Trump as the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee tries to close his fundraising gap with President Biden in their 2024 election rematch, the source confirmed.

DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected in 2022 before launching an unsuccessful bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has built up a formidable network of wealthy donors who could be helpful to Trump as the general election campaign heats up.

News of the meeting was first reported by the Washington Post, which said the get-together between the two rivals was orchestrated by Steve Witkoff, a Florida real estate broker known to both Trump and DeSantis.

RFK JR. CHALLENGES TRUMP TO DEBATE AFTER ‘DEMOCRAT PLANT’ ACCUSATION

The meeting appears to be the first time DeSantis and Trump have spoken, let alone met in person, since the governor ended his White House bid in January, after a disappointing second place finish in the Iowa caucuses, far behind Trump.

The former president and his allies spent nearly a year attacking DeSantis as the two squared off for the GOP nomination that also included other contenders.

DeSantis and Trump did not immediately respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital on the matter.

TRUMP’S LAST GOP RIVAL LANDS NEW GIG AFTER FAILED 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID

Then-President Donald Trump greets Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis as his wife, Casey DeSantis, looks on as they are introduced during a campaign rally at the Hertz Arena on October 31, 2018 in Estero, Florida.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign just two days ahead of the New Hampshire primary and has since endorsed Trump. But to date, DeSantis hasn’t campaigned on behalf of Trump.

During a February call with supporters, the governor took aim at Trump and his top political advisers.

“I think he’s got people in his inner circle who were part of our orbit years ago that we fired, and I think some of that is they just have an ax to grind,” DeSantis said at the time.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? TRUMP’S FORMER OPPONENTS LINING UP NEW JOBS AFTER FAILED 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BIDS

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 24, 2024. A Cook County judge ordered the Illinois State Board of Elections to take former President Donald Trump’s name off of the state’s March 19 primary ballot Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, but placed her order on hold until Friday to allow an appeal.  (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Responding, top Trump campaign aide Chris LaCivita called DeSantis a “sad little man.”

While many on Trump’s team and in his wider political orbit detest DeSantis, the former president may be more forgiving, if it benefits him.

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Trump said in January after DeSantis endorsed him that he would “officially retire” the derogatory “Ron DeSanctimonious” nickname he used repeatedly to attack the Florida governor for nearly a year.

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The 50th annual Southeast Emmy Awards nominations were announced late Sunday at the Thompson Hotel, with Atlanta News First proudly earning 55 nominations.

These awards are the benchmark of excellence in television and new media. 

The Emmy Awards will be given out June 15th at the Grand Hyatt Buckhead-Atlanta, sponsored by our parent company, Gray Television.

Click here to read the full list of official nomination results for the 2024 Southeast Emmy Awards.

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