Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic told reporters that he hasn't proven anything in the postseason yet after two successive first-round exits against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Nothing yet," Doncic said (h/t Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). "We’ve been in the playoffs twice since I've been there. We lost both times, so nothing yet. You get paid to win, and we didn't do it."

The 22-year-old guard averaged 35.7 points, 10.3 assists, 7.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game for the Mavs during this year's first-round playoff series to the Clips, which ended in seven games after L.A. took down Dallas 126-111 on Sunday. Doncic posted 46 points, 14 dimes and seven boards in 45 minutes.

Doncic was nothing short of sensational, even if his team was unable to beat the Clippers. He was particularly excellent on Sunday.

His playoff performance capped a regular season in which he averaged 27.7 points on 47.9 percent shooting (35.0 percent from three-point range), 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds.

Doncic did all he could in this series. The issue was that Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (32.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG) was nearly as great. Leonard ultimately had more complementary help, with Paul George (23.6 PPG and 9.0 RPG) faring well as his sidekick.

Reggie Jackson also scored 15 or more points from Games 2-7, and Marcus Morris Sr. dropped 23 points in Game 7.

Doncic had some assistance in the form of Tim Hardaway Jr. (17.0 PPG), but Kristaps Porzingis (13.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG) had a disappointing showing. Outside of Doncic, the Mavs also shot just 5-of-25 from three-point range in Game 7.

Still, Dallas had a good regular season, tying for fifth in the Western Conference at 42-30. The future is bright in Dallas with Doncic leading the way.

For the second straight year, the Los Angeles Clippers knocked Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks out of the Western Conference playoffs in the first round.

And for the second straight season, it took one hell of an effort to put the Mavs down.

Led by Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers beat the Mavs 126-111 in Game 7, spoiling another Doncic classic (46 points).

The Clippers never quite found an answer for Doncic in the series. Luckily for them, the rest of the Mavericks couldn't play up to his level.

This was a bizarre series, with the road team winning the first six games before the Clippers finally held serve at home in Game 7. While they advance to the second round, the Mavericks will head into the offseason looking for ways to get Doncic more help.

Key Stats

Kawhi Leonard, LAC: 28 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, four steals

Paul George, LAC: 22 points, 10 assists, three steals

Marcus Morris Sr., LAC: 23 points, 7-of-9 from three

Luka Doncic, DAL: 46 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds

Kristaps Porzingis, DAL: 16 points, 11 rebounds

Tim Hardaway Jr., DAL: 11 points

Kawhi Leonard Met the Moment

The narrative around these Clippers, fair or not, has been that they lack heart and don't come through in the clutch after last season's collapse against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Had they lost to Doncic and the Mavs on Sunday at home in a Game 7, that reputation would have become impossible to shake.

But Leonard, as he's done in the past for the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors, came up clutch when the Clippers needed him. The Clippers may have a long way to go before they live up to the lofty expectations heaped upon them when Leonard and George teamed up two summers ago, but getting past Doncic is no small feat.

Without Leonard's big showings in Games 6 and 7, the Clippers would be on vacation.

Doncic Gave Everything He Had

What more could this man do?

And it still wasn't enough.

Some credit obviously goes to the Clippers, who are a good team. But much of the blame resides in Dallas' supporting cast, who simply didn't rise to the occasion. It's become clear this season that Kristaps Porzingis likely will never be a good enough second option to get the Mavs over the hump.

Dallas needs to find a way to get Doncic a second star. In a loaded Western Conference, Doncic is good enough to get the Mavs into the playoffs. He may even be good enough, as he continues to improve, to win a series or two.

But he won't win a title by himself. Sunday was another reminder.

What's Next?

The Clippers travel to Utah to face the Jazz in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET (TNT).

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic gave a rather blunt assessment of what happened during the team's 104-97 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 6 on Friday:

Kawhi Leonard went off, and no one could stop him. Doncic said: 

Leonard posted 45 points on 25 shots in the road contest, keeping the Clippers season alive and forcing a decisive Game 7 on Sunday. The small forward went 5-of-9 from behind the arc, grabbed six rebounds and appeared to get whatever shot he wanted on the floor. 

It's the most points Leonard has posted in a single game this postseason and nearly as much as his last two games combined (49). 

The Mavs will have another opportunity to advance on Sunday—so long as Leonard cools off just a tad. 

The Los Angeles Clippers aren't done just yet.

Los Angeles preserved its season for at least another game with a 104-97 victory in Friday's Game 6 of its first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. Kawhi Leonard, who was brilliant, and Paul George led the way for the Clippers, who will now look to snap the pattern of the road team winning every game in this series in the decisive Game 7.

Notable showings from Luka Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. weren't enough for the Mavericks, who are still looking to win their first playoff series since their 2011 championship.

Notable Player Stats

• Kawhi Leonard, F, LAC: 45 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL
• Reggie Jackson, G, LAC: 25 PTS, 9 REB, 4 AST
• Paul George, G, LAC: 20 PTS, 13 REB, 6 AST, 3 BLK
• Luka Doncic, G, DAL: 29 PTS, 11 AST, 8 REB, 4 STL
• Tim Hardaway Jr., G, DAL: 23 PTS

Kawhi Leonard Refuses to Lose With Season on the Line

It's hard to imagine a first-round game with more pressure than what the Clippers faced Friday.

After all, they shifted into championship-or-bust mode last season when they brought in both Leonard and George. They looked to be living up to the hype with a 3-1 lead in the second round against the Denver Nuggets just to lose three straight and flame out before a Western Conference Finals showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers.

That dialed up the scrutiny this season, and a first-round exit against the Mavericks team they defeated in the opening round last season would only make it worse. Throw in Leonard's player option for next season, and the present and future were both hanging in the balance.

Kawhi answered the pressure in dramatic fashion.

While Reggie Jackson was a key secondary scorer in the early going and George played well at the start of the fourth after struggling with his shot, it was Leonard who was unstoppable.

The two-time champion mixed in an array of mid-range jumpers, outside shots, stifling defensive plays and aggressive drives to keep his team afloat even with four total points from the bench and Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris combining for 10 points.

Then he absolutely took over in crunch time with his patented pull-up jumper and two consecutive step-back threes to push a two-point lead to eight. It was all but over from there and a terrifying reminder to the Mavericks how quickly he can end a game when he is dialed in like that. One more showing like Friday's from Kawhi would be enough to win the series.

Late Collapse Spoils Mavericks' Showing

Friday was a massive opportunity for Doncic.

After all, the 22-year-old has already dazzled during his first three seasons in the league with a Rookie of the Year, two All-Star selections and an unstoppable offensive skill set that includes the ability to hit from the outside, attack the basket and set up teammates. Game 6 was a chance to add a playoff series win to that list.

While he struggled with his outside shot out of the gates, it was still more of the same for Doncic when it came to getting into the lane and facilitating for others. One of those others was Boban Marjanovic, who earned the start and made an immediate impact by scoring against small Clipper lineups and controlling the boards for stretches.

Hardaway also spearheaded a run to retake the lead in the third quarter with a three-pointer and floater while taking advantage of the space created by the attention Doncic drew.

That combination, along with outside shooting from Dorian Finney-Smith, put the Mavericks in position to close out the series at home with a lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Hardaway continued his brilliance and answered a run from the Clippers with another one of his spurts that included a triple, and-1 finish over Leonard and floater. It was the type of support for Doncic that figured to be enough to close out the Clippers.

However, the Mavericks were outscored by 11 in the final quarter and had no answer for Kawhi. Even Doncic couldn't keep up, although it would have helped if Kristaps Porzingis, who is supposed to be the No. 2 option, scored more than seven points as Dallas watched its lead in the game and series slip away.

What's Next?

The series shifts back to Los Angeles for Sunday's Game 7.

Despite putting up a huge stat line against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was critical of his performance.

According to Mark Medina of USA Today, Doncic said: "I could've played a lot better. I missed a lot of shots and layups."

Doncic registered 42 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds in a 105-100 Game 5 victory that has the Mavs one win away from eliminating the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.

Doncic's critique is difficult to fathom considering he scored or assisted on 31 of the Mavs' 37 made field goals, per FanDuel's Rob Perez:

He did only make 17 of his 37 shots and had four turnovers, but that's not an absurd number considering how much he handled the ball in 43 minutes.

Aside from Doncic, the only other Mavs player to score in double figures was Tim Hardaway Jr., who finished with 20 points. Big man Kristaps Porzingis is often Doncic's top offensive complement, but he finished with just eight points on 3-of-6 shooting. Dallas also got just 18 bench points. Looking ahead, both will likely need to change for the Mavs to make a serious run.

As a team, the Mavs shot only 41.6 percent from the field; however, they did shine from behind the arc and at the free-throw line, shooting 38.9 percent and 89.5 percent, respectively.

Now, the Clippers are on the brink of another early exit, while the Mavs are one win away from their first trip to the second round since 2011.

If Doncic is able to come anywhere close to repeating Wednesday's performance in Game 6 on Friday, then Kawhi Leonard and Paul George figure to receive no shortage of criticism for failing to take the Clips on a deep run for the second year in a row.

Tim Hardaway Jr. seemed relieved Wednesday that the Dallas Mavericks took advantage of an incredible performance from Luka Doncic in a Game 5 win over the Los Angeles Clippers in their first-round playoff series.

According to Mark Medina of USA Today, Hardaway said: "With his performance, it would've sucked if we didn't [come out] with a victory."

Dallas went up 3-2 in the series with a 105-100 win thanks largely to Doncic's 42 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds in 43 minutes.

As Rob Perez of FanDuel pointed out, Doncic had a hand in nearly every bucket the Mavs scored Wednesday:

To Hardaway's point, losing likely would have been heartbreaking for the Mavs, and it would have been reminiscent of what happened to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

In Game 5 of the series between the Blazers and Denver Nuggets, Damian Lillard went off for 55 points, 10 assists and a playoff-record 12 threes.

Despite that, the Blazers fell 147-140 in double overtime, putting them down 3-2 in the series and one loss away from elimination.

Per ESPN's Royce Young, Blazers guard CJ McCollum addressed the loss after the game, saying: "It's a shame we wasted one of the all-time performances by not being more supportive for him."

Doncic didn't receive a ton of help either, as Hardaway was the only other Mavericks player to score in double figures with 20 points.

As he has so often during his young career, Doncic put the Mavs on his back—no small feat against a fourth-seeded Clippers team led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

If Doncic can find a way to turn in a similar performance in Game 6 or Game 7, the Mavericks will be in prime position to advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since winning the NBA championship in 2011.

The Dallas Mavericks are one win away from their first postseason series victory since 2011. 

Led by 42 points from Luka Doncic and saved by a last-chance rebound from Tim Hardaway Jr., the Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 105-100 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday to take a 3-2 series lead.

Paul George scored 23 points to lead the Clippers in the loss. 

Notable Performers

• Luka Doncic, Mavericks: 42 PTS, 14 AST, 8 REB
• Tim Hardaway Jr., Mavericks: 20 PTS, 7 REB
• Paul George, Clippers: 23 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST
• Marcus Morris, Clippers: 16 PTS, 7 REB

Dominant Doncic Leads Mavs

Luka Doncic struggled in Game 4 of the series, finishing with 19 points (9-of-24 shooting) with four turnovers while dealing with a neck injury. But he seemed to be recovered from the start in Game 5. 

He was the game's leading scorer after the first quarter, opening with 19 points thanks in large part to 5-of-6 shooting from deep.

His effort did more than give Dallas the lead. It went down in franchise history: 

He ended the half with 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting with eight assists. But as the rest of the Mavericks faltered—Hardaway was the next leading scorer with eight points—the Clippers pulled within two points at the half. 

L.A spent much of the third quarter putting pressure on the Mavericks, who answered with a 20-3 run to close the frame and re-assert their dominance, entering the fourth with a 89-75 advantage. 

Tim Hardaway Jr. finally pulled in to the double-digit range with 13 points by the end of the third. Doncic, meanwhile, reached 40. 

Doncic's powerful performance was enough to get the Mavericks past the Clippers in the end, but it certainly would have been much easier if the rest of the squad stepped up earlier.

L.A.'s Balanced Attack Can't Complete the Job 

Paul George led the charge for Los Angeles in the first quarter. And while he compiled a solid nine points, three rebounds and three assists in front of five points from Reggie Jackson, there wasn't enough support for the team to keep pace with a Doncic-led Dallas squad early. 

Shutting Doncic down would have made all the difference, since no other Mavericks player had four points after one. 

That became clear in the second quarter, when the Clippers went on a 9-2 run with Doncic  off the court. 

Once the Clippers offense got going, Los Angeles managed to take the lead for parts of the second quarter and get within two points of the Mavericks at the break. The late charge was led by George and Kawhi Leonard, who each tallied 11 points.

It didn't take long into the third period for a fourth Clippers player to reach double figures, with Jackson joining Marcus Morris Sr. as well as George and Leonard. The balanced effort gave the Clippers a slight edge over the one-man-show Mavericks midway through the frame. 

Just as it looked like they'd found their stride, the Clippers fell apart. They let Dallas go on a major run to close the third quarter and entered the fourth down by 14 points after being outscored 33-21 in the frame. 

The Clippers rallied back and nearly forced overtime, getting within three with a chance to tie in the final second, but Leonard's corner three was off the mark and the Clippers slipped to within one game of elimination. 

What's Next? 

The series returns to Dallas for Game 6, scheduled for Friday at 9 p.m. ET.