The Mavericks, led by Luka Dončić, tied the series against the Los Angeles Clippers 1-1 with a 96-93 road victory in Game 2 of the opening round of the playoffs. Dončić, who received a technical foul in the second half, finished with 32 points, nine assists, six rebounds, one steal, and one block. Jason Kidd, the Mavericks’ head coach, believes that the technical foul motivated Dončić to play even better.
The game was physical from the start, with 42 personal fouls called in total. The Mavericks led 45-41 at halftime, but the Clippers rallied in the third quarter to take a 66-65 lead heading into the final period. Dončić tied the game at 65 apiece but was then called for a technical foul, giving the Clippers a free throw to take the lead.
Undeterred, Dončić and the Mavericks went on a 14-0 run to take back the lead. The Clippers kept pushing, but the Mavericks held on to win. Kyrie Irving had 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three steals for the Mavericks. PJ Washington Jr. added 18 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
For the Clippers, Paul George scored 28 points and Reggie Jackson added 23. Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 15 rebounds.
The series now shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Tuesday, April 26, at 8 p.m. EST. The Clippers will need to win at least one game in Dallas to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the series.
