Clippers Eliminate Mavericks in NBA Playoffs

The Dallas Mavericks reached the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2016, drawing the 2nd seeded Los Angeles Clippers in a the 1st round. Luka Doncic, the Mavericks’ 21 year old already-a-star shooting guard, hit a three pointer at the buzzer of Game 4 for a 135-133 win to even the series at two games apiece, and it seemed possible that the 7th seeded Mavericks could pull off the upset.

But the Clippers showed why they were the 2nd seed in the highly competitive Western Conference. L.A. put up a whopping 154 points in Game 5, winning 154-111, and then wrapped it up in Game 6 with a 111-96 victory. Although Doncic got a lot of attention with a great series, including a pair of triple doubles despite an ankle injury, this was also the Kawhi Leonard Show. The Clippers forward average 32.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.2 rebounds per game. Leonard signed a big free agent deal with the Clippers after last season, when he lead the Toronto Raptors to the NBA Championship. He also played on the San Antonio Spurs’ 2013-14 NBA champs, and was the Finals MVP both times. The Clippers are paying big money for big post season results, and so far those results are good.

Some Game 6 highlights:

L.A. will meet the winner of the Utah-Denver series in the 2nd round. That series is tied at 3-3, with Game 7 on September 1st.