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Kawhi Leonard, Paul George Dominant as Clippers Win Game 5 vs. Mavericks
August 26, 2020
The Los Angeles Clippers regained control of their first-round series with a 154-111 win over the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday.
Paul George broke out of his slump with 35 points on just 18 shots while Kawhi Leonard was his usual deadly self in the Game 5 victory, helping the Clippers set a franchise record for points in a playoff game while giving the No. 2 seed a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Los Angeles unstoppable offensively to build a 20-point lead early in the first half before going up more than 30 in the third quarter. After blowing a major lead in Game 4, the squad held on this time around to put Dallas on the brink of elimination.
Luka Doncic scored 22 but the Mavericks couldn't overcome the loss of Kristaps Porzingis, who remains out with a sore knee.
The blowout also featured plenty of confrontation from the two sides, with six combined technical and flagrant fouls and Dallas coach Rick Carlisle ejected in the quarter.
It could provide plenty of drama for the final game or two of this series.
Notable Performances
Kawhi Leonard, SF, LAC: 32 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Paul George, SG, LAC: 35 points, 12-of-18 from the fieldd
Montrezl Harrell, PF, LAC: 19 points, 11 rebounds
Luka Doncic, SG, DAL: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, DAL: 19 points, 3 assists
Maxi Kleber, PF, DAL: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks
Paul George Wakes Up, Leads Offensive Explosion
The start of the postseason was not kind to Paul George, who shot just 29 percent from the field in the first four games. After averaging 21.5 points per game during the season, he had just 20 points in the last two games combined while shooting 6-of-30 from the field.
Things changed Tuesday when the All-Star tallied 35 points in just 25 minutes, scoring 18 points in the first half to lead the Clippers to a 24-point lead:
It helped quiet some doubters after facing a lot of criticism during the week:
Kawhi Leonard also continued to play at a high level and was nearly unstoppable at times on the offensive end:
The duo helped the Clippers dominate from the start of the game, including a 32-6 run in the first quarter to lead by 19 after the first break.
Los Angeles had 76 points by halftime and kept the pedal down by finishing with 154 points on 63.1 percent shooting from the field, going 22-of-35 from three-point range.
The Mavericks have kept pace with the Clippers for much of the series, but George and Leonard both playing to their peak level makes this a tough team to beat.
Luka Doncic Unable to Carry Mavericks on His Back Again
Game 4 saw one of the best individual efforts in a long time as Doncic finished with 47 points, 17 rebounds, 13 assists and a buzzer-beater in overtime. The second-year player couldn't match that in Game 5.
The guard found ways to get himself points despite dealing with an ankle injury:
He still saw extra attention from the Clippers defense from the start of the game, which was more effective with Porzingis still out:
It led to a lot of visible frustration with Doncic spending a lot of time arguing with the referees, eventually picking up a technical foul:
Carlisle followed it up with his own pair of technicals and an ejection for the head coach.
Dallas had some positive moments, including from Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr.:
However, it wasn't enough to keep up with a Clippers squad that seemingly couldn't miss. Dallas will either need more production from the supporting cast or a superhuman version of Doncic to turn things around next game.
What's Next?
The Clippers will have a chance to clinch the series in Game 6, scheduled for Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.