Luka Doncic was determined to prevent his team from falling behind 0-2 as they returned to Dallas. He came up big against Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Doncic scored 32 points as the Mavericks beat the Clippers 96-93 in Game 2 to even the series at one game each.
Right from the start, the Slovenian player pushed the pace, aiming to avoid the large deficit his team faced in Game 1.
In a defensive battle with no team holding a double-digit lead, the Mavericks held on to the lead for most of the game, with the score swinging back and forth and lead changes happening ten times.
Clippers’ head coach Ty Lue praised his team’s defense but acknowledged the need for improvement on offense.
Even though the Clippers were ahead by six in the fourth quarter, Doncic’s clutch play, including two crucial three-pointers and four assists, sealed the victory for the Mavericks.
Kawhi Leonard returned to action after a nine-game absence due to knee inflammation, contributing 15 points and seven rebounds despite struggling from three-point range.
Lue noted Leonard’s rusty performance and is hopeful that he will regain his rhythm as the series progresses.
As the series heads to Dallas, James Harden and Paul George led the Clippers with 22 points each, while Kyrie Irving scored 23 for the Mavericks.
Game 3 will be held in Dallas at the American Airlines Center on Friday night at 5:00PM PT.
Stay tuned for more updates, stats, and player reactions…