The Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 in Game 6 on Friday night to progress to the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Both teams played evenly in the first half, but then the Mavericks went on multiple scoring streaks to build a significant lead in the second half and secure a series-clinching win.
Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and forward PJ Washington had a strong start, scoring 16 of the team’s first 20 points.
Meanwhile, Clippers guard Paul George single-handedly kept Los Angeles competitive by scoring 10 of the team’s first 26 points.
Even though the Mavericks were not shooting well in the first quarter, they grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, giving them extra chances to score. This helped them take a 34-26 lead as they went into the first break.
Doncic continued to aggressively attack the Clippers, contributing 16 points by midway through the second quarter to help the Mavericks establish a 44-32 lead.
However, neither team was shooting well. The Clippers shot 35.7% from the field, while the Mavericks made 42.4% of their attempts.
The Mavericks remained aggressive, with Doncic assisting guard Josh Green for a layup to give Dallas a 46-33 lead with 6:11 left in the half.
Dallas then experienced a scoring drought as the Clippers went on a 15-2 run to tie the game at 48 after guard Terance Mann made a driving layup with just 1:41 left in the quarter.
The two teams ended the half tied at 52, maintaining the series trend of poor three-point shooting.
The Mavericks made only 25% of their 20 three-point attempts, while the Clippers shot just 28.6%, despite only making 14 attempts in the half.
Dallas started the second half at a faster pace, with guard Kyrie Irving scoring a fastbreak layup followed by a Doncic three-pointer to put the team up 57-52 in the first minute of the half.
The scoring continued as Mavericks center Daniel Gafford reached 10 points on a free throw after an explosive and-one dunk against Clippers center Ivica Zubac, giving the team a 63-54 lead with 8:37 left in the third quarter.
Mavericks guards Dante Exum and Irving combined for a quick seven points to help the team extend its lead to 15 points, with Dallas holding an 85-70 lead with 38 seconds remaining in the quarter.
A pair of free throws from Los Angeles guard Paul George cut the lead to 13 points, but Mavericks guard Josh Green made a floater off an Irving assist to give Dallas an 87-72 lead entering the final quarter.
The Mavericks maintained an aggressive approach, with center Dereck Lively II making a layup to give them their largest lead at 20 points with 9:24 left in the game.
This lead grew to 24 points as Irving made an and-one three-pointer with 5:38 remaining, bringing the Mavericks closer to eliminating the Clippers and moving to the second round.
A small scoring run by the Clippers reduced the lead to just 13 points with 2:57 remaining, but strong offensive possessions and key stops by the Mavericks helped them secure a 114-101 victory.
The Mavericks are advancing to the next stage of the NBA Playoffs and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 on Tuesday night.
