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The LA Clippers managed to force Game 7 in their first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks with a 104-97 win at American Airlines Center. Homecourt advantage hasn't meant much this series, as both teams have failed to record wins at their respective arenas.
The Dallas Mavericks lost only their second game of the season after taking a first-quarter lead. Both their losses, under those circumstances, came against the LA Clippers this series.
The teams went back and forth for most of the game, but a stellar performance from the Clippers down the stretch saw them save their season. They outscored the Mavericks 30-21 in that period.
Kawhi Leonard drops 45 points; comes up clutch to help the LA Clippers avoid elimination
LA Clippers' talisman Kawhi Leonard delivered a monster performance after a disappointing outing in the previous game. He had 45 points, on 72% field goal, 55% three-point and 100% free throw shooting. He needed to have a huge game, especially after Paul George's underwhelming 20-point game.
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George shot just 60% from the free-throw line and made just 2-of-6 of his attempts from long-range. But Paul George came up big on the defensive end and did a great job with his playmaking as well. He had 13 rebounds and six assists on the night. 11 of his boards were on the defensive end. Considering the size of the Dallas Mavericks, it proved to be crucial for the team's cause.
Despite his huge game defensively for the LA Clippers, the Twitterati did not spare Paul George for his abysmal offensive performance as "Pandemic P" memes resurfaced on the social networking platform.
Reggie Jackson had a solid game as well as he played an excellent cameo to Kawhi Leonard. He scored 25 points on 53% shooting from the field. Jackson replaced Pat Beverley to add some offensive depth and the move has worked wonders for the LA Clippers so far. He also hit crucial threes to make sure the LA Clippers did not concede a huge lead against the Dallas Mavericks mid-way through the game.
Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr. shine again as Kristaps Porzingis continues to disappoint for the Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic scored 29 points on the night, while Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23. Despite being double-teamed on multiple occasions, Doncic made sure he contributed in every way possible. He provided 11 assists and made 4 crucial steals on the night. Hardaway Jr., on the other hand, made four clutch threes to keep his side in the contest.
Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis continued to disappoint on the offensive end. He scored just 7 points on the night, shooting 3-of-7 from the field.
The LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks will now face off in Game 7 of the series on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center. The winner of that matchup will advance to face the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
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