The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks 116-111 on Sunday, April 28, to even their playoff series at two games a piece.
Despite only recording 16 points as a team in the third quarter and blowing a 31-point lead, the Clippers' 39-point first quarter propelled them to victory. Los Angeles guard James Harden and small forward Paul George recorded 33 points each and combined for 15 assists and 12 rebounds.
first NBA teammates to both have 30+ PTS, 5+ REB & 5+ AST on 74.0+ TS% in a Playoff game 🔥 https://t.co/pnk8Uq7G13 pic.twitter.com/1NTdRjBi7I
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 29, 2024
George was on fire from beyond the arc, shooting 7/10 from three-point range, which accounted for 21 of his 33 points. Clippers forward Kahwi Leonard missed Game 4 with a knee inflammation, putting the pressure on Harden and George to perform, which they did, accounting for 66 of Los Angeles’ 116 points.
Dallas guard Kyrie Irving led the game in scoring, putting up an astonishing 40 points, six three-pointers, seven rebounds, and five assists. His counterpart in the back-court, Luka Doncic, recorded the games only triple-double, scoring 29 points and grabbing ten rebounds and assists. However, Doncic went ice-cold from beyond the arc, shooting a whopping 1-9, which makes a significant difference in a five-point game.
The Clippers will host Game 5 on Wednesday, May 1, and they hope to win in front of their home crowd. The Mavericks will look to win on the road, and both teams are looking for a 3-2 lead.
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