CLIPPERS: Los Angeles drops home Game 5 against Dallas in disappointing fashion

LOS ANGELES – There’s a reason it is called the “pivotal” Game 5.

Throughout NBA history, the team who wins Game 5 when the series is tied at 2-2 goes on to win the round nearly 83% of the time. Not only did the Los Angeles Clippers lose Game 5 at home, they lost in blowout fashion, giving the Dallas Mavericks nearly all of the momentum they’ll need to end the Clippers’ season in Game 6.

It was a back-and-forth scoring battle to begin the night, with Los Angeles finding themselves trailing 25-24 at the end of the first quarter. With Kawhi Leonard still sidelined with a knee injury, the Clippers needed big performances from their other two star players in Paul George and James Harden. But George and Harden combined for just six points at the end of the first quarter, and on the other side, Luka Dončić alone had eight points, four rebounds and three assists for the Mavs.

The Clippers offense didn’t improve in the second quarter, as Los Angeles found themselves down by double digits near the end of the period. With 1:17 remaining in the half, Kyrie Irving tossed up a lob pass from halfcourt and Mavs center Daniel Gafford finished the play at the rim to give the Mavericks a 54-44 lead. Los Angeles’ deficit remained at 10 entering halftime.

The third quarter was not much better for the Clippers. With 7:21 remaining in the quarter, Dončić found himself isolated against Ivica Zubac and took advantage of the mismatch by hitting Zubac with a crossover and stepback jumper. The two-pointer gave Dallas a 14-point lead and the play was a sign of things to come for Dončić in the second half. The Clippers had no answers for Dončić as he scored 20 of his 35 points in the final two quarters.

Even though the Mavericks owned the third quarter, there was a stretch where it looked like the Clippers could potentially make the game competitive again. With 57 seconds remaining, George hit his first three-pointer of the night to trim Dallas’ lead to 19. With 31 seconds left in the quarter, George hit another three pointer, this time a stepback over P.J. Washington.

But just when it looked like the Clippers were riding some momentum, Mason Plumlee fouled Josh Green on a three-point make and Green finished the four-point play at the foul line. After three quarters, the Clippers were down 89-69 and George was Los Angeles’ leading scorer with just 15 through three quarters.

The Mavericks took the momentum from Green’s four-point play into the fourth quarter and cruised to a 123-93 victory. Following a masterful display of offense in Game 4, no Clipper was able to find a groove offensively in Game 5. George and Harden shot a combined 6-25 from the field for 22 points and no starter for the Clippers had a positive plus-minus.

Russell Westbrook continued to struggle off the bench, going just 2-11 from the field and scoring just six points. Since the Clippers’ blowout victory in Game 1, Westbrook is shooting just 17% from the field and is averaging below five points per game. Even though Westbrook struggled again mightily, the Clippers as a team could not create and make easy opportunities in Game 5. Los Angeles shot 38% from the field and 26% from the three-point line.

Defensively, the Clippers allowed the Mavericks to shoot 54% from the field and 36% from three-point range. Dončić’s 35 points are certainly the headline, but he did not do it alone, as the Mavericks received big contributions from Maxi Kleber and Dereck Lively II off the bench. Kleber hit five three-pointers and Lively II was a perfect 5-5 from the field and scored 12 points in total.

With the Clippers moving to the Intuit Dome next year, it is possible that Los Angeles just played its last game in Crypto.com Arena. If the Clippers want to end their tenure in Downtown LA on a high note, their stars will have to show up in Dallas and force the series to go to a seventh game.

Although it seems like the Mavericks possess all the momentum, the Clippers have been in this position before. When these two teams matched up in the 2021 postseason, the Clippers won in seven games after trailing 3-2 and winning Game 6 in Dallas.

The Clippers will need history to repeat itself Friday night at the American Airlines Center at 6:30 p.m., as Los Angeles will play to keep their season and title hopes, however tenuous they may be, alive.