Luka Doncic scored 32 points, helping the Dallas Mavericks secure a 96-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
This win ties up the Western Conference first-round playoff series at one game apiece. Kawhi Leonard, making his return after being sidelined since March 31 due to knee inflammation, contributed 15 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes of play.
Kyrie Irving also had a strong performance with 23 points for the Mavericks, who maintained the lead for most of the game. Despite trailing by as much as 29 points in their previous match, the Mavericks showed resilience to bounce back.
Game 3 is set for Friday in Dallas.
For the Clippers, Paul George and James Harden led the scoring with 22 points each, but their efforts weren’t enough to overcome the Mavericks’ determined play. Ivica Zubac contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Although the Clippers mounted a comeback in the third quarter, the Mavericks responded strongly in the fourth, going on a 14-point run to take control of the game. Despite a late surge from the Clippers, including a three-pointer from George at the buzzer, the Mavericks held on for the win.
Both teams faced injury challenges during the game, with Mavericks’ starting center Daniel Gafford sustaining a lower back injury early on and Tim Hardaway Jr. spraining his right ankle. Gafford returned to play in the second quarter, while Hardaway Jr. did not return to the game.
