USA Today via Reuters

Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double. Kyrie Irving recorded 40 points. The Dallas Mavericks even wasted a 31-point advantage that the Los Angeles Clippers had in the first half. Nonetheless, Dallas fell 111-116 to the Clippers at American Airlines Center today. Los Angeles was playing without its injured superstar, Kawhi Leonard. However, it appears that the franchise’s decision to deploy veteran power paid off nicely, as James Harden and Paul George both scored 33 points.And just like that, the series is tied at 2-2, with the Clippers facing the Mavs on their home turf in Game 5. Doncic, on the other hand, had some troubling remarks after the loss. The Dallas superstar was listed as doubtful for Game 4 due to knee pain. However, when it came time to play, the Slovenian prodigy donned his uniform. Only play despite the pain.

According to Grant Afseth, Doncic said that he didn’t view the knee soreness as an excuse for tonight’s “sloppy” play. But he also admitted, “It’s hurting, obviously, but that shouldn’t be an excuse. Just came out a little sloppy, so we got to do way better than that.” 

USA Today via Reuters

Doncic had 29 points and 10 rebounds and assists each for the night. It might be a triple-double, but it wasn’t particularly effective as the Clippers held him to 10-of-24 from the field and 1-of-9 from the three-point line in 45 minutes of game time. Not wanting to lose in front of their home crowd, the Mavs were hard at work.

By the fourth, Dallas had reduced the 31-point gap to four. That’s when the years of experience came into play for the veteran superstars of the Clippers.

The LA veterans showed their mettle against Luka Doncic and Co.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

“I just felt comfortable,” PG said after the game. “Regardless of how the arena’s going, the crowd, the pressure, it’s kind of just feeling comfortable in those situations.” And comfortable he was! George‘s 26 of his total 33 points came in the first half. But the 9x All-Star truly shone during those breath-stopping moments of the matchup.

Irving elected to play point guard in this game, and he made things difficult for Los Angeles. At one point, George’s shot-making abilities were on full display. Dallas had just taken a 105-104 lead after Kyrie drove around three defenders. But PG13 somehow hit a three from the far right over Derrick Jones Jr., giving the Clippers a 107-105 advantage. The clock showed 1:55.

George completed the night 11-of-19 from the field, including 7-of-10 from downtown. He also had six rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and one block in 43 minutes of action. James Harden, for his part, demonstrated why he excelled at what he does. Also, this was arguably his greatest performance since joining the Clippers.

‘The Beard’ knocked all his threes, except one, tonight (4-of-5). He also made 12 out of the 17 field goals along with six rebounds and seven assists. Not to mention, the final five minutes were a feast for the eyes as four of the best NBA talents went head-to-head to clinch the victory. Or, as Harden puts it, “elite, skilled, Hall of Fame basketball players going at it.” 

If the Mavericks had won, they would have equaled the postseason record for largest comeback. The last time this happened was during the 2019 playoffs, when the Clippers rallied from a 31-point hole in Game 2 against the Warriors. Hopefully, Luka Doncic will improve for Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena.