Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving Guide Dallas Mavericks to Series ...

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks had the chance to close out their first-round playoff series against the Los Angele s Clippers during Game 6 at American Airlines Center and took full advantage, achieving a 114-101 victory. The Mavericks advance to the Western Conference Semifinals and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, the fourth playoff series win in the Luka Doncic era.

The Clippers adjusted their lineup by replacing Amir Coffey with P.J. Tucker, but this change led to reduced floor spacing and did not enhance their ability to limit Doncic. Los Angeles often used Tucker as a screener, knowing Doncic was covering him, which caused soft switches and challenges in containing movements in open spaces.

Irving consistently applied aggressive ball pressure on Harden, especially when the Clippers failed to use screens to switch him off. This approach underscored the team's focus on maintaining a strong defensive identity, highlighted by a superstar's willingness to set a defensive tone.

After P.J. Washington converted on a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to put the Mavericks up 13-6, the Clippers called a timeout with 7:32 left in the opening period. With Doncic continuing to trust his floor spacers, he found Washington again using another no-look pass, resulting in a made 3-pointer. Dallas went up by double figures for the first time after Washington's second make.

The Clippers opened up their offense late in the first quarter when they deployed double drag screens for Harden to attack hard left before spraying it out to George in the weak-side corner. Goerge hit the 3-pointer to bring Los Angeles within 20-15 with 3:56 left in the period. George hit another shot from deep, making it a tightly contested ending to the first quarter.

With the Clippers primarily having Terance Mann guard Irving off the ball, Doncic had success picking apart various ball screen coverages. Against traditional drop coverage, he'd snake into the gap and make a play in short-range, or find a teammate. Against blitzes, he was finding open teammates quickly, often using a no-look pass. He already totaled 14 points and four assists in the first quarter.

There was a clear focus from the Mavericks on crashing the boards early, resulting in a significant level of success on the offensive glass. Dallas closed the opening period with 10 offensive rebounds and having scored 12 second-chance points.

Mann took on the Doncic assignment in the second quarter, with the Mavericks frequently screening to draw switches. Los Angeles dialed up a blitz when Harden was put into the action, resulting in a 4-on-3 to create Washington's corner 3-pointer, put the Mavericks up 40-28 early in the second period.

After thriving with double big lineups with Kleber's versatility maximized at the four spot, he suffered a right shoulder sprain, initially making him doubtful to return to action. He ultimately did not return to action.

After Doncic found Josh Green on an alley-oop, the Mavericks' lead grew to 13 points. Doncic missed his first six 3-point attempts of the night, slowing down Dallas' momentum at times and creating transition chances for the Clippers. Neither team shot well from the perimeter, but the Mavs' early dominant offensive rebound dissipated. In contrast, the empty offensive possessions gave Los Angeles favorable open floor and early offense opportunities.

The Mavericks continued to go cold offensively with missed shots and turnovers, setting up the Clippers' rallying effort to close the half. Dallas was contained to 18 points in the second quarter and briefly lost the lead late in the second quarter but entered halftime tied 52-52. Doncic had 18 points and seven assists but shot 5-15 from the floor and 0-7 from deep. Irving was contained to two points in the first half and shot 1-6 overall and 0-2 from the perimeter.

Coming out of the break, the Mavericks went on an 8-0 run led by their superstars, who turned up their shotmaking execution. Both players ended their 3-point shooting drought during this stretch.

A series of highlight dirty work plays from Gafford set the tone for the Mavericks midway through the third quarter. The first included an aggressive drive through Zubac after a stalled possession, creating a thunderous and-one dunk. He later cleaned up a miss at the rim with a putback dunk. Dallas held onto a 67-58 edge entering a timeout with 7:13 left in the third quarter.

Doncic blew by Tucker on the perimeter for a finish off two feet, giving the Mavericks their first double figure advantage since the first half. Irving hit a pull-up 3-pointer to give Dallas a 14-point advantage, establishing the team's largest lead to that point of the game.

The Clippers deployed a small ball lineup with Tucker at the five then swapped him out for Russell Westbrook to still go small despite Dereck Lively II being on the floor. Defensively, they deployed late doubles against Doncic to get the ball out of his hands with Irving on the bench.

Westbrook frequently came up empty on rim attacks down the third-quarter stretch, resulting in chances for the Mavericks to have Irving lead a plug-and-play lineup to grow the lead. After a floater followed by a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, Irving put Dallas up by 15 points. A re-drive chance created by Irving's pass led to a floater for Green, solidifying an 87-72 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

Irving scored the Maericks' initial five points of the final period, using a pull-up 3-pointer followed by a tough baseline fadeaway. The Clippers were determined to double Doncic, resulting in Dallas relying on Irving to be aggressive in making plays. After Lively exploited a small for a catch-and-finish using his left hand, Dallas led by 20 points with over nine minutes still to play.

The Clippers began picking up full court to make it more challenging for the Mavericks to get into their offense. With Irving drawing a double, Doncic attacked with an advantage to create a finish. He also got a defensive stop guarding Harden on an isolation possession, making him settle for a tough short-range jumper. He later connected with Jones for an alley-oop, creating a 22-point edge.

Late in the clock, Irving used his crafty handle to shift Tucker using a hesitation dribble before escaping to the corner for a tough 3-pointer. He faded and fell on the shot, landing in front of the Mavericks' bench—resulting in a team-wide celebration while the home crowd erupted. The game flow had reached a point of no return for the Clippers regarding making a serious rallying effort.

Looking ahead, the Mavericks will play Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Thunder on Tuesday at Paycom Center.