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Luka Doncic (77) of the Dallas Mavericks watches as Kawhi Leonard (2) of the Los Angeles Clippers scores during the second half of an NBA first-round playoff game on Sunday, Aug.30, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ( AP Photo / Ashley Landis) lyrics
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Kawhi Leonard had 33 points and 14 rebounds and the Los Angeles Clippers eliminated Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks from the playoffs with a 111-97 victory Sunday in Game 6 of the first-round series.
Doncic capped off a magnificent first postseason with 38 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, keeping him interesting in the fourth quarter even without playing without injured teammate Kristaps Porzingis.
But with Leonard hitting the 30-point mark for his fifth straight playoff game, the best of his career, and a strong defensive effort, the Clippers simply had too many answers.
The second seed in the Western Conference advanced to a second-round meeting with Denver or Utah. The sixth-seeded Jazz were trying to close out that series in six games later Sunday.
Paul George and Ivica Zubac added 15 points each for the Clippers, who improved their defense in this after winning Game 5 with the best offensive performance in their postseason history, when they shot 63% for a 154-111 victory.
Perhaps it was too much to ask to be so sharp again after a four-day break, but they didn’t need to be even as they played most of the game without starting forward Marcus Morris, who was sent off for a flagrant foul against Doncic in the first quarter.
Luka Doncic (77) of the Dallas Mavericks receives a foul from Marcus Morris Sr. of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of an NBA first round playoff game on Sunday, Aug.30, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ( AP Photo / Ashley) Landis)
Leonard also had seven assists and five steals. The Clippers said he was the first player in at least the last 20 postseason games with 30 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in one game.
The Mavericks only scored two field goals in the first six minutes of the third quarter, both from Doncic, and by the time he did the second, the Clippers had opened the half with a 20-3 run that turned a six-point lead into a lead. . 77-54 lead.
But Doncic kept attacking them, with a triple and two 3-pointers in the final 1:28 to cut it to 85-74.
He made 3 more that cut him to 88-82 with 9:27 to play, but Dallas couldn’t get any closer. Los Angeles began to put the ball in Leonard’s hands and he handed over eight straight Clippers points before Reggie Jackson’s straight 3s took him to 105-89.
Dallas was in his first postseason since 2016, but he quickly learned about physique, mixing him up with Morris on multiple occasions.
The Clippers held a two-point lead when Morris was sent off for swinging his arm down and hitting Doncic in the head or neck area, but the Clippers finished the quarter with a 9-2 increase for a 34 lead. -29. The Clippers regained their defense in the second period, holding the Mavs to 17 points and 33.3% shooting to open a 57-51 lead at halftime.
TIP-INS
Clippers: Patrick Beverley had a pregame workout before going out for the fifth straight game with a left calf strain. Coach Doc Rivers said the guard had a good practice Saturday and was closer to returning, but wasn’t ready yet.
Mavericks: Porzingis missed his third straight game with a torn cartilage in his right knee. … Dorian Finney-Smith scored 16 points.
DOC FREE DAY
Rivers spent part of Clippers day without a game Saturday watching his son Austin help the Houston Rockets beat Oklahoma City in Game 5 of their series.
It was the first game Rivers attended in the bubble, but it wasn’t the first time he had seen his son play at Disney. Austin Rivers was a star of Florida’s prep at Winter Park High School.
“It was fun, I usually carry, like, a notepad. I have nothing. I just sat down and watched the game, ”Rivers said. “You keep training during the game. Not him, but just both teams and you look at what you can do and I put on a little mental exploration.
But more importantly, it was a great detox for me to just sit there and enjoy basketball in a gym that I have been a fan of, a spectator of, literally hundreds of times. “
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