The only remaining matchup in the first round of the playoffs will have a decider Game 7 after LA Clippers beat Dallas Mavericks. The Clippers will have a home advantage in the final fixture due to their higher finish in the regular-season table.
NBA Playoffs First Round
Mavs 97-104 Clippers
This marks a second effort by the Clippers to tie the scores in the series. Initially being 2-0 down, they won two in a row to level things up.
Mavericks failed to close down the proceedings in their home turf and marked the second time in the series that they scored less than a 100 points.
Kawhi Leonard was the star of the show for the Clippers by notching 45 points with 18 of 25 overall and 5 of 9 from deep shooting, his playoffs career-high. Paul George stepped in with 20 points and 13 rebounds while Reggie Jackson put in 25 points.
It was a lean evening for Kristaps Porzingis who ended with 7 points, 3 assists and 5 rebounds. Luka Doncic led the scoring for the hosts with 29 points and led his team in assists and rebounds as well.
At one point in the game, the Clippers were trailing by six-points in the third quarter, but they overcame that deficit through a stunning final quarter which saw them outscore the Mavericks by 11 points. In the final quarter, the visitors shot 63%
“It was a Game 7 before the Game 7 for us,” Paul George said after the game
“It’s going to be a great game, Best words in sports: ‘Game 7. Haven’t played one in a while.” said Reggie Jackson
“Just another basketball game,” Leonard said. “Like we say, if we don’t want to go home, pay attention to details, have faith, shooting the ball with confidence. If you do that, you can live with the results.”
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