Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the suddenly defensive-minded Dallas Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 101-90 on Friday night, taking their first-round series to two. He led with 1.
The Mavs ran the same defense that gave them home court advantage in their Game 2 win in Los Angeles, winning in Dallas three years later after losing seven straight to the Clippers and losing all three first-round games on their own. . Game 4 will be played Sunday in Dallas.
Rookie Derek Lively II scored all 13 points in the first half, and Daniel Gafford, his tag team partner as a dunker and rim protector, hit a dunk from Paul George early in the fourth quarter with Dallas leading. Strongly blocked. He had complete control of the game with five technical fouls, one flagrant foul and two sending offs.
James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but he had just seven points after halftime, and fellow stars George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact. Normal Powell was also 21.
George dealt with foul trouble, recording seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and five fouls. Leonard missed nine games with inflammation in his right knee and didn't look easy in his second game back, posting nine points and nine rebounds. Ivica Zubac had 19 points and eight rebounds.
Kyrie Irving scored 19 of his 21 points in the final 13-plus minutes, including eight points in the final 1:18 of the third quarter, leading Dallas to 18 points after falling to six points. He contributed to rebuilding the point difference.
The already tough game reached a boiling point midway through the fourth quarter when Russell Westbrook threw Doncic away after fouling him.
Westbrook was called for a technical for that contact and for shoving P.J. Washington after Washington confronted him. Washington was also called in as a technician during the sequence and already had one in a previous shoving match with Terrence Mann.
Westbrook received a flagrant foul for excessive contact when he fouled Josh Green on a breakaway in the first half, and Washington was ejected.
Westbrook missed all seven shots and scored one point, but again drew the ire of the crowd when he bowled to Doncic after Zubac was fouled when Doncic went for a shot. Officials reviewed the play and ruled Westbrook's contact was accidental.
Doncic, who limped off the court in the first quarter clutching his right knee, was just 7-of-25 from the field and 3-of-13 from 3-point range.
But Dallas held George and Westbrook to a combined 1-of-10 from deep, while Leonard couldn't even hit 3-of-7 attempts.
