Clippers star Kawhi Leonard (right) faces Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic (right) during the second half of Game 2 of the first round of the playoff series at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night. Steal the ball from the left). (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES — Kawhi Leonard played 35 minutes in his first game in three weeks, but it turned out the Clippers needed every second of it. And it still wasn't enough.
The Clippers pushed in the final two minutes but couldn't overcome poor shooting and lost Game 2 to the Dallas Mavericks 96-93, leaving the visitors tied at 1-1 in the best-of-seven series. .
The series moves to Dallas for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
Leading 90-81, the Clippers went on a 7-2 run with 27.1 seconds left when Paul George hit two free throws to get within 92-88. After Derek Jones Jr. made one of two free throws, Leonard drove to the basket for a layup to cut the lead to 93-90 with 20 seconds left.
Kyrie Irving was called for a foul, but the Mavs contested it and it was rescinded. Irving made 3 of 4 free throws and George sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the game.
Leonard's progression through inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee has been a weasel and mouse trial at times. Was he healthy? does he play? can he run? A question that received an ambiguous answer.
As the days turned into weeks, the conversation went from “not ready” to “he can play in three days of practice” to “he won't be in Game 1.” He hadn't played or practiced contact since March 31, but his status finally became clear when he took the court during warmups on Tuesday, when the Clippers missed their last nine games. He was an eternal All-Star.
Leonard left the game scoring 15 points, well below his regular season average of 23.7 points, but also had seven rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Leonard shot 7-of-17 from the field (0-for-5 from 3-point range), but he wasn't the only Clippers player who missed the mark. George and James Harden each scored 22 points, but the team shot a season-worst 36.8 percent from the field and 26.7 percent (8-of-30) from 3-point range.
Ibiba Zubac added 13 points and 12 rebounds, but Russell Westbrook only had seven points, Norman Powell added six points, and Terrence Mann added five points.
Dallas, on the other hand, made 14 of 33 3-point attempts (42.4%) and had a field goal percentage of 42.1%. Luka Doncic had a game-high 32 points, six rebounds and nine assists. Irving added 23 points and six rebounds for the Mavericks, who led for much of the game two days after trailing by 29 points and ultimately losing 109-97. PJ Washington Jr. added 18 points.
The game was a sloppy affair with both teams committing a combined 42 fouls and 23 turnovers, with neither team shooting the ball well. Still, the Mavericks held the advantage for most of the night as the Clippers fought to regain their composure from Game 1.
They finally regained their composure and made shots in the fourth quarter, taking their largest lead of the game at 73-67 on Norman Powell's 3-pointer and Ivica Zubac's layup with 9:32 left.
The offense stalled after that, and the Mavs used a 14-0 run to extend their lead to 81-73. Washington hit a 3-pointer in front of the Clippers bench, and Doncic and Irving hit 3-pointers of their own, sparking chants of “Let's go, Mavericks.”
Washington matched the Mavericks' largest lead with another 3-pointer with 4:40 remaining, but the Clippers couldn't overcome with or without Leonard.
The Mavericks started out more physical, but the Clippers quickly matched their intensity and kept the game within reach in the first half, taking a 45-41 lead. Dallas led by eight points twice in the first half.
The Clippers struggled offensively from the beginning. Through the first 24 minutes, they shot 34.1 percent from the field and just 2-of-13 from behind the arc. It was clear Leonard was out of the game, failing to connect on four of his first six shots.
Fouls were more of a problem for the Clippers than shots.
More on this story later.
