Doncic dagger does it for Mavs
Buzzer-beater 3 in OT evens series vs. Clippers
Teammates swarm Mavericks guard Luca Doncic after
Luka Doncic stepped back for a winning 3-pointer — on a tender ankle, no less.
Another installment in legend of Doncic.
Doncic’s deep shot at the buzzer capped a triple-double and the shorthanded Mavericks beat the Clippers 135-133 in overtime Sunday in Lake Buena Vista, Florida to even the Western Conference first-round playoff series at two games apiece.
Doncic finished with 43 points, 17 rebounds and 13 assists for his second straight triple-double.
“We know this kid has got a flair for the dramatic,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s a guy that lives for these moments.”
To think, Doncic was a game-time decision due to the left ankle he hurt in Game 3. But once he stepped on the floor, he knew he would give it a go.
And once crunch time hit, the ankle wasn’t even a thought.
“One of the best feelings I’ve had as a player,” Doncic said.
Marcus Morris hit a 3-pointer with around 9 seconds remaining in OT to give the second-seeded Clippers the lead. It simply set the stage for Doncic’s winner over Reggie Jackson. His teammates rushed out to congratulate him.
“Big-time players make big-time plays. He’s a big-time player,” teammate Trey Burke said.
Doncic’s theatrics helped the seventh-seeded Mavs post their biggest playoff comeback win, overcoming a 21-point, second-quarter deficit. Their previous best was 19 against the Spurs in San Antonio during Game 5 of the 2003 West finals.
The Mavs used a 16-0 run in the third to take the lead — and led by 12 points in the fourth before the Clippers rallied. the evergrowing ever
Celtics close out sweep: Kemba Walker scored 32 points and the Celtics pulled away in fourth quarter to complete a series sweep of the 76ers 110-106.
Jayson Tatum added 28 points and had a playoff career-high 15 rebounds for the third-seeded Celtics, who advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Celtics’ win marks the first sweep in 15 playoff series meetings between the teams. It also is the third straight season that the 76ers have failed to advance past the second round.
Joel Embiid led the sixth-seeded 76ers with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Tobias Harris added 20 points and five rebounds despite leaving briefly after a scary fall that bloodied his left eye.
With Harris out, the Celtics scored the final nine points of the third quarter as part of a 12-0 run. The Celtics’ lead grew to 96-79 in the opening minutes of the fourth.
The 76ers entered the playoffs without All-Star guard Ben Simmons, who underwent season-ending surgery on his left knee following an injury during the seeding portion of the bubble schedule.
Layups: LeBron James had 38 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, Anthony Davis scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, and the topseeded Lakers beat the eighth-seeded Trail Blazers 116-108 on Saturday night for a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference series. With the victory, James passed Spurs great Tim Duncan for No. 2 on the all-time playoff wins list. James, 35, has 158. Only former Lakers guard Derek Fisher has more, with 161 . ... Magic forward James Ennis and Bucks forward Marvin Williams were fined $15,000 each by the league Sunday for a fight that led to their ejections from Game 3 of their teams’ Eastern Conference series. The top-seeded Bucks have a 2-1 lead.