The Clippers appear in Game 4 without Kawhi Leonard, but the George-Harden duo knows how to make sure they don’t regret it. Doncic starts with the 4-0, then the 2-19 break with George in double figures gives a precise direction to the match, and the Los Angelenos overflow (16-39 after 12′), reaching +31 before the end of the second quarter with 26 by George and 18 + 5 assists by Harden. Game over perhaps, but not for Kyrie Irving. Dallas made a comeback effort to close the first half on a 25-11 run to take a 49-66 lead.
With the energy of the American Airlines Center crowd behind them, the Mavericks went on an incredible run in the third quarter, falling just two points down 76-78. At the beginning of the final period, the Clippers took advantage of the cooling of the Mavericks’ attack for a 2-11 run and the new external advantage. Plenty of solo space for Irving to bring Dallas to 92-97 with 6’07” left in the match. Six consecutive points from Harden with floaters allow them to maintain a minimal lead of 100-104.
MMA Irving, with a 3-point shot and a drive and finish, created a 5-0 run to push Dallas ahead 105-104 with 2’14” left. Paul George came out of a timeout with a baseline jumper on a fadeaway to put Los Angeles back ahead by one. After Irving missed a floater, Harden attacked the paint several times successfully never finding a second line of opposition. And if Doncic made two free throws, Harden’s floaters held the five difference until the end.
Dallas – LA Clippers 111-116 (2-2). Boxscore: 40 Irving, 29p+10r+10as Doncic, 14 Jones Jr., 10 Washington for the Mavericks; 33 George and Harden, 13 Zubac, 11 Mann and Powell for the Clippers. Both teams will resume the series on Wednesday, May 1, when they play Game 5 at Crypto.com Arena.
