Clippers, Mavs set for Game 7
Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers made it an NBA-record six straight victories for the road team in a playoff series.
Now they have to figure out how to beat Luka Doncic and the Mavericks at home in a Game 7 to avoid another bitter postseason disappointment.
Leonard tied his playoff career high with 45 points and the Clippers beat the Mavericks 104-97 on Friday night, winning for the third time in front of a raucous Dallas crowd more than three times bigger than any during the regular season.
This time it was a tense finish keyed by the two-time NBA Finals MVP after double-digit LA victories in the first two games in Dallas, and coming off the Clippers’ third straight loss at home.
“Great players perform in big moments,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “It just shows you who Kawhi Leonard is.”
Only one other sevengame series had started with five straight victories by the road team. Now Leonard and Paul George get their first chance to eliminate the team they beat in six games in the first round in the Florida playoff bubble last August. Game 7 is Sunday in Los Angeles.
“Just another basketball game,” Leonard said. “Like we say, if we don’t want to go home, pay attention to details, have faith, shooting the ball with confidence. If you do that, you can live with the results.”
Luka Doncic scored 29 points but was just 2 of 9 from 3-point range as the LA defense turned up the pressure in key moments and held Dallas to 29% shooting in the fourth.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 23 points but missed a 3-pointer and a layup in the closing minutes.
After coming home with a 2-0 series lead and losing twice, the Mavericks lost a close-out game for just the second time in seven games under coach Rick Carlisle. Now Dallas has to bounce back from the disappointment of another missed opportunity on the home court, still looking the first playoff series victory since the franchise’s only championship 10 years ago.
Is Embiid ready?: Dwight Howard gushed over his first year in Philly, a train-of-thought review on his favorite cheesesteak spot and the dairy dessert the Sixers give away at home games, and he even hummed a few bars to the team’s theme song.
Fun!
But when the topic turned to Joel Embiid, Howard’s belief that the injured big man can play in Game 1 of the Sixers’ second-round playoff series against the Hawks brought the laughter to a halt.
“He should be ready to go,” Howard said.
Wait a minute, is the backup center — and one of the top rebounders in NBA history — really breaking news on Embiid’s status for Sunday’s game against the Hawks.
Pressed for the scoop that Embiid actually will play, Howard suddenly backtracked on his breaking news update.
“Oh, nooooooo, you didn’t hear me say that one,” Howard said. “I expect him to be great when he plays. That’s all.”
That’s all the Sixers expect, as well, but Embiid’s status remained unknown Saturday because of a cartilage tear in his right knee.