Luka Doncic & 'Kyrie Irving Chaos' Lead Dallas Mavericks in Series-Clinching Game 6 Win vs. LA Clippers
After blowing out the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5, the Dallas Mavericks took a 3-2 first-round series lead into Friday night's Game 6 at American Airlines Center. The Clippers eliminated the Mavs in the 2020 and 2021 playoffs, and Luka Doncic finally got his long-anticipated revenge, winning Game 6, 114-101, and the series, 4-2.
Doncic's struggles shooting the ball from 3-point range continued in this one, but he did enough in other areas to help Dallas advance to the second round. He finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and 13 assists while shooting 9-26 from the field, 1-10 from deep, and 9-11 from the free-throw line.
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“We just enjoy it," Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said of his team's triumph. "But I don’t say much in front of the cameras. Once the cameras left, just enjoy it. We’ll have tomorrow off, regroup on Sunday, and then focus on Oklahoma City. But they should enjoy it. To beat the Clippers is no easy task; it wasn’t a given, those guys earned it. To enjoy it. They have tomorrow off, and we’ll get back to work on Sunday.”
The Mavs built a 13-point lead in the first half, but by the time halftime rolled around, the score was tied, 52-52. Doncic and Kyrie Irving combining to shoot 0-9 from deep was the biggest reason the Clippers were able to hang around. However, that didn't last, especially for Irving, as he exploded in the second half, finishing with a team-best 30 points (11-19 FG) to go with six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks.
"KYRIE CHAOS!!!," shouted ESPN announcer Mike Green during Irving's takeover.
Irving's offensive explosion was capped off with an unreal fadeaway corner 3-pointer, plus the foul, that included some slick handles in the process.
Irving improved to an all-time NBA-best 13-0 in postseason closeout games.
“Amazing," Doncic said of Irving's performance. "He was trying to get going, and he said to me ‘I am going to get it going.’ Never in doubt with Kai. [It’s] just amazing to see the kind of plays he makes.”
There was a great level of physicality in Game 6, especially in the first half, as both Dereck Lively II and Maxi Kleber took nasty spills. Lively was able to stay in the game and finished with 10 points, nine rebounds, and three assists, but Kleber exited with a shoulder sprain and didn't return. Kleber's injury status will be something to keep an eye on heading into round two.
The Mavs will get a much-needed break before taking on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Western Conference-best Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. Game 1 will tip off at 8:30 p.m. CT on TNT.
