Los Angeles Clippers

Paul George had nothing but respect for Luka Doncic on Sunday after the Los Angeles Clippers eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

That wasn't just because of the 46 points and 14 assists Doncic notched in a 126-111 Game 7 loss for Dallas, but because of everything the young point guard did throughout the series in general.

Paul George on Luka Dončić:

"Shit, he was a star last year, too. He played off the charts last year. At a young age like that, you knew he could get better. He was even more awesome... his game is just beyond his age. He plays with so much confidence. He has a big future ahead."

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) June 7, 2021

PG and the rest of the Clippers showed love to Luka 🤝

A great series. https://t.co/yDcWk7ySAE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2021

Paul made his feelings known immediately after the game by embracing Doncic at midcourt before swapping jerseys with the 22-year-old.

Since Doncic was being mobbed and congratulated by just about everyone on the court, he waited until he was back in the locker room to give Paul his game-worn jersey and complete the swap.

"I did send one after, in the locker room."

Luka on his jersey swap with Paul George https://t.co/WY0kADYWih

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2021

Paul made clear to note it wasn't just Doncic who put the Clippers on the brink of elimination. It was the entire Dallas team. The Mavericks held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 during the first round series, forcing Los Angeles to rally back against one of the most talented players in the game in order to advance.

"They pushed us," George said. "They definitely got us war-ready. Great team we played. Unbelievable superstar in Luka. They pushed us and played really well. They challenged us."

There's just no question who was leading the way for Dallas.

Doncic scored more than 40 points in Games 3, 5 and 7 while averaging 35.7 points, 10.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds for the series. His outing Sunday saw him factor into 77 points for the Mavs—the most ever by a single player in a Game 7, per Elias Sports Bureau (h/t ESPN's Tim MacMahon).

For now, Doncic's legacy in the postseason appears to be pushing elite opponents to the top of their game when facing him.

Soon, even that might not be enough to stop the Slovenian star.

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard took a level of personal satisfaction from seeing his team beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-111 on Sunday to advance to the conference semifinals of the 2021 NBA playoffs.

Leonard told reporters how it "meant a lot" to him to witness the Clippers recover after dropping their first two games to oust Dallas.

Kawhi on the Clippers: "I'm glad that we showed character, showed poise when we went down 0-2 and then coming back on the road in Game 3, that meant a lot to me...and now we have to see what we can do to raise our chances of winning this next round."

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 6, 2021

Nobody could really be blamed for writing preemptive eulogies of the 2020-21 Clippers. After their collapse last season, losing back-to-back games in Los Angeles was a foreboding sign.

However, this series could become the turning point at which L.A. showed the mental strength necessary to capture an NBA championship. The Athletic's John Hollinger explained last September how spectacular failure can often be the catalyst for success on down the road.

In Game 7, the Clippers got the kind of collective effort that was lacking against the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals one year ago. Marcus Morris Sr. hit seven three-pointers en route to a 23-point evening. Reggie Jackson had 15 points. Terance Mann and Luke Kennard combined for 24 points off the bench.

Leonard, meanwhile, just missed out on a triple-double after posting 28 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, four steals and one block.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa3Q2baZSMk

Just as the panic about the Clippers looks to be misplaced for the time being, maintaining some perspective about this series victory is important.

Los Angeles didn't sign Leonard and trade for Paul George to get to the conference semifinals—or just the conference finals for that matter. When you assemble a roster with the primary goal of winning a championship, that becomes the bar.

The positivity L.A. generated Sunday will fade quickly if the team starts slowly against the top-seeded Utah Jazz.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue isn't dwelling on the past.

The Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks 126-111 in Game 7 on Sunday to close out their first-round playoff series. To some extent, it was impossible not to contrast Los Angeles' fight back from an 0-2 hole to the team's collapse last year when it threw away a 3-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets in the second round.

Lue, on the other hand, wasn't looking to reflect on how the 2020 postseason influenced his team's performance.

"That s--t's over," he told reporters.

"They were mentally locked in all day... We wanted this moment."

Ty Lue on the total team-effort Game 7 win over the Mavericks😤#ClipperNation | @LAClippers pic.twitter.com/iyIjwubL5y

— FanDuel Sports Network West (@FanDuelSN_West) June 6, 2021

As the regular season approached, Patrick Beverley said that "guys are pissed off, which is good." Paul George also said in January he "absolutely" turned the criticism directed toward him and his teammates into a source of motivation. Kawhi Leonard echoed that sentiment.

"It does leave a bad taste in your mouth blowing a 3-1 lead," he told reporters. "But I love it. These are things that build the player. It's the things that I like, the challenge. The road of going to a championship is hard. I love the process."

It would be impossible for a team not to be carrying a chip on its shoulder after what unfolded for the Clippers in the NBA bubble.

Fixating too much on past failures can backfire, though.

The Toronto Raptors were a prime example. By the time the Cleveland Cavaliers swept them in the 2018 playoffs, LeBron James seemed to have mentally defeated them. Toronto lost Game 4 by 35 points.

At some point, a team has to look forward, and the Clippers appear to be doing just that.

It was easy to hit the panic button when Los Angeles dropped the first two games to Dallas. Then the Clippers responded like you'd expect a championship contender would. Leonard's three-pointer inside the final two minutes of Game 6 was the one moment when the narrative may have changed the most.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1MZCdXx24Q

Of course, all of the old talking points will come up again if the Clippers lay an egg against the Utah Jazz in the conference semifinals. The Jazz are no pushovers, but it's difficult to envision L.A. having a more clear path to the NBA Finals for the foreseeable future.

Kawhi Leonard proved yet again he was built for Game 7's, adding another incredible performance to his still-growing legacy. 

With 28 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in a 126-111 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the small forward ensured the Clippers would advance to the Western Conference Semifinals. In the process, he also left his teammates in awe. 

Point guard Reggie Jackson had to crash Leonard's post-game interview with Rachel Nichols to let the rest of the NBA know. 

🗣 “Baddest man on the planet"

Reggie Jackson hyped up Kawhi after winning Game 7 https://t.co/d01NRUbxSy

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2021

"Baddest man on the planet!" Jackson shouted over Leonard's shoulder, before repeating himself for good measure. 

After Sunday's outing, it's hard to disagree. 

“Last year was last year ... That s--t's over.”

Ty Lue on the Clippers getting past the Mavs this year after another tough series https://t.co/tso7644BID

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2021

Before Jackson interrupted him, Leonard was explaining to the ABC broadcast how the win was a team effort, crediting the Clippers with committing to defense after watching film of pervious games in the series. 

That may be true, but none of it would've mattered without Leonard's efforts. The 29-year-old already has a case as one of the best Game 7 players in the NBA right now. In six career Game 7's, including Sunday, Leonard is averaging 21.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor. 

L.A. needed every bit of that against Dallas as Mavs star Luka Doncic went off for 46 points and 14 assists despite mostly being guarded by Leonard. 

Per @EliasSports, the 77 points created by Luka Doncic scoring or assisting are the most ever by a player in a Game 7. It wasn't enough.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 6, 2021

PG and the rest of the Clippers showed love to Luka 🤝

A great series. https://t.co/yDcWk7ySAE

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 6, 2021

If there's anything Leonard wants his teammates to take away from the first-round series, it's that the effort they displayed during Game 7 is exactly how they need to play during every game going forward.

Leonard may be the baddest man on the planet, but that doesn't mean the Clippers need to keep going to Game 7 to prove it. 

"You can't just pick one game to lock in," Leonard said. "You have to stay focused throughout the whole series, whether it's seven games or four games." 

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).

Kawhi is too smooth 😎 pic.twitter.com/SF2cfWOeUC

— ESPN (@espn) June 6, 2021

Kawhi fired up 👀 pic.twitter.com/TPIHg2d2LE

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 6, 2021

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.

Kawhi Leonard had to remind everyone why he was worth such a commotion in 2019. His effort the last two games of this series - after that airball 3 at the end of Game 5 had Rajon Rondo giving him the gas face - is what the hype was all about.

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) June 6, 2021

"this is the Kawhi Leonard that we were looking for against Luka Doncic, take it personal, take the challenge and eliminate his impact on the offensive end"
this was the play in the background where the Clippers trapped Luka as he came off the screen. pic.twitter.com/6TscuzT7Ji

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) June 6, 2021

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?

"He's a combination of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird."

—@MarkJackson13 has high praise for Luka 🤩 pic.twitter.com/dRXAQnbpzu

— ESPN (@espn) June 6, 2021

LUKA CAN'T BE STOPPED 😱

He's got 29 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jQ6UBwqFB5

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 6, 2021

This Luka take in #PhantomCam is special. 📸

He's got 31 PTS, 12 AST.. we're tied in Q3

WIN or GO HOME GAME 7 on ABC pic.twitter.com/1AmIPpmJpY

— NBA (@NBA) June 6, 2021

THIS LUKA SHOT 🤯 pic.twitter.com/04CFjUp7pk

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 6, 2021

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.

At halftime...
Luka Doncic: 29 points on 14 shots
All other Mavericks: 33 points on 33 shots

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) June 6, 2021

Porzingis ain't it. pic.twitter.com/j8EYals8Et

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) June 6, 2021

https://twitter.com/AndyGlockner/status/1401663104853807104

Donnie Nelson has to get Luka more help.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 6, 2021

just two of the 10 Mavericks who have played in this game were acquired after January 2019: Boban Marjanovic and Josh Richardson. Dallas hasn't meaningfully improved the roster around Luka Doncic in 2.5 years.

— tim cato (@tim_cato) June 6, 2021

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).

Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard said he's "gotta do a better job" after missing a potential game-tying three in the final seconds of Wednesday's Game 5 loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Leonard took an off-balance, contested shot that didn't connect. Josh Richardson grabbed the defensive rebound for the Mavs and made two free throws to seal the 105-100 win, which pushed L.A. to the brink of elimination with Dallas up 3-2 in the first-round series.

"We [are] definitely disappointed in the loss," Leonard told reporters. "But we have confidence in ourselves to go out and get another win. We are just focused on the next one and see what we can do better."

The five-time All-Star finished with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal in 42 minutes Wednesday. He struggled with his shot, however, making just seven of his 19 attempts from the field, including a 1-of-7 mark from beyond the arc.

It was the worst offensive performance of the series for Leonard, who averaged 33 points on 62.3 percent shooting through the first four games.

The Clippers nearly completed a massive comeback anyway. They entered the fourth quarter trailing by 14, but pulled back within one with 39.5 seconds left and had Leonard's chance to tie it before coming up just short.

Now L.A.'s back is against the wall, and more than just being eliminated from the playoffs is at stake.

The Clippers brought together Leonard and Paul George with championship-level expectations. They were knocked out of the postseason in the second round last year. A first-round exit this year combined with the player option in Leonard's contract could bring a premature end to that partnership.

George said the team's outlook hasn't changed despite the circumstances.

"We're confident," he said about Game 6. "We're confident we can extend the series and bring this back home. We got to go to Dallas, and it is going to be another hard, tough environment. It is the job that we got in front of us."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y63y8ieL7fk

Meanwhile, the Mavericks, who were led by 42 points from Luka Doncic on Wednesday, have an opportunity to reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2011, when they went on to win the NBA title.

The critical Game 6 is scheduled for Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue said he isn't concerned about the team's 3-2 series deficit after a 105-100 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 on Wednesday night, which pushed his team one game from playoff elimination.

"I think we're fine," Lue told reporters. "We'll see in two days, but [from what] everybody talked about in the locker room, we're good."

Game 5 continued a trend of neither team being able to defend its home-court advantage. Dallas won the first two games in Los Angeles, and the Clippers returned the favor in Games 3 and 4 to level the series heading back to L.A.

While it appeared Lue's group had righted the ship after a rough start, Luka Doncic pushed the Mavericks back ahead in the series with another standout performance, tallying 42 points, 14 assists, eight rebounds and a steal in 43 minutes.

There wasn't any panic in the L.A. locker room despite potentially being 48 minutes from a disappointing first-round exit.

"We're confident," Paul George said when asked about Game 6. "We're confident we can extend the series and bring this back home. We got to go to Dallas, and it is going to be another hard, tough environment. It is the job that we got in front of us."

Kawhi Leonard added: "We [are] definitely disappointed in the loss. But we have confidence in ourselves to go out and get another win. We are just focused on the next one and see what we can do better."

The Clippers did a lot of things right in Game 5. They held the Mavs to 41.6 percent shooting, held a slight edge in the rebounding battle (47-45) and blocked 10 shots, but their inability to slow down Doncic combined with their own poor shooting night (41.3 percent) made their comeback bid fall just short.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDoAYPg7Hy8

While the back-and-forth nature of the series gives L.A. a realistic shot to win the final two games to advance, getting an offense that's been stuck in neutral at several points throughout the series, including the third quarter of Game 5, going more consistently is a must.

The onus falls on George and Leonard to pick up the slack during those offensive lulls after they combined to make just 14 of their 34 shot attempts (41.2 percent) in Wednesday's loss.

Game 6 is set for Friday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

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.

Luka is on one ♨️

He’s got 17 PTS in the 1st QTR. https://t.co/JH5d9e4Kte

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 3, 2021

Luka Doncic seems to be feeling better.

— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 3, 2021

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

Luka Dončić’s 19 points in the first quarter are the most by a Maverick in the first quarter of a postseason game since 2002-03.

Dirk Nowitzki held the previous franchise best in that range (18 points vs. SAC, 5/8/03). https://t.co/LZQ8G5oEhN

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) June 3, 2021

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. 

BIG MOOD 😁#ALLIN pic.twitter.com/bVTpEh7Mrg

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) June 3, 2021

Dallas has its largest lead, 12, just a few minutes after LA had its biggest lead, five. What a turnaround. Fans here are stunned. So am I.

How are things at home?

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) June 3, 2021

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

🗣️ "Right back atcha"#ALLIN pic.twitter.com/j8leEntiO7

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) June 3, 2021

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.

Attack and kick it out. 👌🏾

📺 @BallySportWest |📱 https://t.co/SxvCDP1Us0 pic.twitter.com/tx0HLNB9e2

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 3, 2021

On the attack.

📺 @BallySportWest |📱 https://t.co/SxvCDP1Us0 pic.twitter.com/5Uqb5n3MZW

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 3, 2021

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. 

Playing for keeps. pic.twitter.com/5yCfa3Vz9R

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) June 3, 2021

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. 

 

The Los Angeles Clippers finally got on the board in their playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks with a win in Game 3, despite Luka Doncic dropping 44 points on them. 

Head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters on Saturday that part of the Clippers' adjustments after the first two games was to make Doncic "a scorer and try to take the other guys out."

Lue said after Friday's 118-108 win that his team “decided to switch more and try to make (Doncic) play more one-on-one and just try to wear him down.”

Doncic has been a man on a mission in this series. The two-time All-Star is averaging 38.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists against the Clippers. He's shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from three on 12.3 attempts per game. 

The biggest difference from Dallas' two wins and Friday's loss was the performance of Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Hardaway averaged 24.5 points on 17-of-27 shooting (11-of-17 from three) in the first two games. The 29-year-old remained effective behind the arc in Game 3, going 4-of-6, but he missed all eight of his two-point attempts and finished with 12 points. 

Kristaps Porzingis has been inconsistent so far in the series. The Latvian star had a solid Game 2 with 20 points, four rebounds and three steals in 32 minutes. He tied a season-low with just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting in Game 3. 

The Clippers defense did get better as the game went along. After allowing 34 points in the first quarter, they held the Mavericks to under 30 points in each of the final three quarters. 

Dallas' 22-point fourth quarter was its lowest-scoring quarter of the playoffs. 

Los Angeles' offense was terrific, with four of five starters scoring at least 15 points. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 65 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. 

The Clippers will look to even the series at two when they play the Mavericks in Game 4 at American Airlines Arena on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET. 

Los Angeles Clippers star Paul George downplayed the team's Game 3 road win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, which trimmed the Mavs' series lead to 2-1.

George, who scored 29 points in the 118-108 victory, told reporters the Clippers still have a lot to prove if they're going to advance from the first-round playoff matchup:

"We're down 2-1. We haven't shown anything. We're not the favorites [to win it all]. We're not the defending champs. We haven't shown anything.

"We have to continue to keep doing it. We've got to win this series, but it's one game at a time. We've got to win Game 4 and send it back to L.A. Take home-court advantage. But off one win, we haven't shown anything."

Teammate Rajon Rondo agreed with George's sentiment:

"Obviously, backs against the wall. Champions respond. We can't crown ourselves too early, but understand to have that mindset that when things get wrong, we got to fight, and tonight we stuck to the fight, down 19. I think that's one of the biggest obstacles in the playoffs.

"We haven't done anything special, though. We won one game, and we'll watch the film tomorrow and see how we can come out better on Sunday and hopefully have the same type of outcome."

The Clippers were staring down a likely insurmountable 3-0 series deficit and found themselves in an early 30-11 hole Friday before fighting back to take a two-point halftime lead. After a back-and-forth third quarter, L.A. pulled away in the fourth to take its first game of the series.

Kawhi Leonard led the charge by making 13 of his 17 shots en route to 36 points. George added seven rebounds and four assists on top of his 29 points.

"Those guys are killers," Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr. said of Leonard and George. "No matter what's being said in the media and what's being said in the outside world, them guys come in and work their ass off every single game."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7m-y9LBRV8

It was an encouraging performance at both ends of the floor for the Clippers, who'd allowed 240 points over the first two games at home as the Mavericks took control of the series.

That said, the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference is still behind the eight ball, needing to win three of the next four games to advance.

Los Angeles can alleviate that pressure with a win in Game 4, which would level the series at two games apiece and restore the team's home-court advantage.

The series resumes Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET on TNT.