The Dallas Mavericks wanted to finish this series on their home floor. They didn't want to have any chance of this series returning to Los Angeles for Game 7. They knew they had a good chance thanks to Kyrie Irving, who entered this game with a perfect 12-0 record in close games.
Dallas led 34-26 at the end of the first quarter with Luka Doncic's 14 points. They set the tone for themselves and entered the second quarter with a lead of as many as 13 points. Maxi Kleber left the game with a shoulder injury after a horrific foul, and the Clippers began to work their way back into the game.
Our play begins here.
Read more: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving lead Dallas Mavericks to victory over Clippers in series-clinching Game 6
That steal and James Harden's goal, which caught Daniel Gafford unaware, gave the Clippers a 19-4 lead just before halftime. The Mavericks dominated most of the first half, but allowed the Clippers to come back late in the first half.
Honestly, that might have been the best thing. Dallas ties the score again before the first half, but as he comes out of the locker room, gunshots ring out.
In some cases, even if you get punched in the mouth, your team can get back up and counter-punch. I'd like to think that's what happened here.
A grown man slam here where Daniel Gafford moves Ivica Zubac out of the way and throws him down. This play opened the floodgates for Dallas in the third quarter.
Zubac left his mark on this entire series. 20 points and 15 rebounds in Game 1, 13 points and 12 rebounds in Game 2, 19 points and 8 rebounds in Game 3, 15 points and 6 rebounds in Game 5…Dallas, and more specifically. Daniel Gafford had a tough time against Zubac.
The dunk was a release of pent-up frustration for Gafford, who had his best game of the series. He was averaging just 4.8 PPG and 3.0 RPG in the series heading into Game 6, but finished with 13 points and six rebounds in the final game.
This play was a microcosm of the third quarter. The Mavericks were aggressive in hustling to the ball, and Kyrie Irving just cooked the entire second half, as he has all series. Dallas grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in this game.
P.J. Washington was hitting corner 3s early in this game, hitting two early in the first quarter, and has shown that he will continue to take corner 3s when he gets open. Credit to him for following up on his mistake and beating Paul George with this rebound.
Only they know why the Clippers left Kyrie Irving. But before that basket, he had scored 10 points in the third quarter alone. This play was a big reason why the Mavericks outscored the Clippers by 15 points in the third frame.
Bonus play announcement! The Mavericks made it to the Western Conference semifinals, so why not?
What more can you say about Kyrie Irving in the second half? He's really great.
The play didn't change the game much, as the opponents already had a 20-point lead, but nothing explains why Irving's heater was better than this play. He shot just 1/6 and went into halftime with his two points left. He finished with 30 points shooting on 11/19. His 28 points in the second half tied his playoff career high for points scored in the first half.
The Clippers tried to make things interesting at the end, but the lead never reached single digits and the Mavericks ended up winning 114-101. They advanced to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
Luka Doncic had 28 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds, but was again inefficient shooting just 9-of-26 from the floor. In this series, he shot just 40.5% from the floor and 23.9% from 3-point range. He needs to be better if the Mavericks want to beat the Thunder in the next round, but he has to feel good for the Mavericks. He knows he can win 100% without Doncic.
Game 1 against the Thunder will be played Tuesday at 8:30 pm CST at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Read more: Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving 'definitely considering' joining LeBron James (Lakers)
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