Luka Doncic had 28 points and 13 assists, and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 114-101 in Game 6 on Friday night.
The Mavericks' playoff series victory avenged their previous two losses to the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs in 2020 and 2021.
Dallas point guard Kyrie Irving, who was not on the previous playoff team, scored 30 points in the win.
Norman Powell led the Clippers with 20 points. Paul George scored 18 points and made 2 of 10 3-pointers. James Harden's shooting struggles continued in Game 6, shooting just 0-of-6 from the 3-point line and 5-of-16 overall.
The loss came on a night when the Clippers were once again without Kawhi Leonard.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner missed Game 1 of the series with knee inflammation, returned for Games 2 and 3, but will not be able to play the game. was also defeated.
Leonard looked different from his usual dominant self in these games, missing the rest of the series with a knee injury.
In Leonard's absence, Russell Westbrook was unable to provide further inspiration for the Clippers off the bench. The former NBA MVP award winner scored just six points on 2-of-7 shooting.
The Mavericks led for most of the game, but the Clippers rallied from a double-digit deficit in the first half to briefly take a 52-50 lead seconds before halftime.
This would be the only lead the Clippers had for the rest of the game.
Dallas dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Clippers 35-20. The lead increased even further in the fourth quarter, building a 24-point lead before Los Angeles gave up the white flag.
The Clippers joined the Lakers in the offseason after both teams were eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Wednesday's game at Crypto.com Arena was a blowout loss for the Clippers and was the last game in which the two teams will share the downtown Los Angeles arena as co-tenants.
The Clippers will move into a new $2 billion arena known as the Intuit Dome in Inglewood next season.
The roster that plays the first game of the fall could look much different than the one that lost Friday night.
George has a player option and is expected to become a free agent. If so, there would be several teams interested in his services. Harden is also a free agent, as is Westbrook, who has a player option for next season.
Whether the Clippers decide to keep their core could largely depend on their health going forward.
In each of the past four playoffs, the Clippers have suffered major injuries to star players that derailed their championship hopes.
It was Leonard's knee that ended a close playoff run this year. That leaves the Clippers' front office with plenty of “what if” questions to ponder over the offseason.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs on Tuesday.
