SUMMARY
- Luka Doncic helped the Mavericks achieve a 30-point blowout against the Clippers in Game 5.
- The 25-year-old claims his knee injury hasn't gotten any better but he plans on staying focused on winning the series.
During Game 4, we witnessed the Dallas Mavericks close a huge 31-point deficit against the LA Clippers but they failed to secure the win. Luka Doncic came back in Game 5 with the motive of giving the Clippers a taste of their own medicine. The Clippers have been struggling without Kawhi Leonard anchoring their defense, and the Mavericks took full advantage of it during their 30-point blowout.
It was a close first quarter but the Mavericks eventually pulled away. Luka Doncic had an outstanding third quarter which ultimately helped the Mavericks achieve the blowout. He finished 35 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists during the game. Kyrie Irving had 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists including 2 steals. Dallas’ bench had three players score in double-digits while Maxi Kleber made all five of his field goals from deep.
Luka Doncic claims his injury feels worse as the series progresses
One of the biggest issues Luka Doncic faced earlier in the series was experiencing a knee injury. During their previous matchup, the 25-year-old struggled from deep range and could barely adjust to various defensive plays. However, Doncic claims the injury hasn’t gotten any better nor has his flu.
He said, “Just trying not to think of the injury, the cold. Just trying to go out there and set a tone… It’s the playoffs. When you start a game in the playoffs, it’s a different thing. A lot of adrenaline [and] a lot of emotions. So, you just keep going.” He also addressed if the injury has been limiting his ability to play by saying, “Now it’s a little worse after the game. But I’m going to get treatment, ice it down, and [do] everything I can to be ready to go.”
“It’s not really good, but you know, like I talk about the adrenaline of a playoff game, once you get started, you want to do everything you can to help your team win,” Doncic concluded. During the post-game press conference, Doncic evidently sounded like he was struggling to speak to his cold.
“It’s tough. [I] can’t breathe through [the] nose. I have to blow my nose every time. But like I said, it’s the adrenaline of the playoff game. It was a big game today, so, I needed to be locked in 100%,” he claimed. Having Doncic healthy will be the most crucial part of the playoffs this year. If the Clippers push for Game 7, Doncic may not have much time to recover.
The Mavericks can close out the series vs Clippers in Game 6
The Clippers losing Kawhi Leonard is one less problem for the Mavericks to deal with. LA hasn’t set a timetable for his return nor do they know if he’ll be able to return any time soon due to a knee inflammation. After allowing James Harden to score 33 points in the last game, Irving played tight defense of the former MVP to limit him to 7 points shooting 2-12 from the field.
Luka Doncic vs LA Clippers
35 PTS
7 REB
10 AST
+28MAVS TAKE A 3-2 SERIES LEAD. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/eAXJwi4W8u
— A Walking Highlight (@11AWH) May 2, 2024
As always, even though Paul George is a phenomenal player, his lack of consistency may ruin the Clippers’ run this series. “Today, I think was a very big game. Now we got to win one out of two. So, we got to go back [to] Dallas, play the same way. We know our fans are going to be amazing at home. So we just got to win more and more. We didn’t do nothing yet,” said Doncic regarding the Mavericks 3-2 lead over the Clippers.
Having a homecourt advantage will work out in favor of the Mavericks going into Game 6. Their recent game was a blueprint of how they need to treat Game 6. If the Mavericks allow either Harden or George to find a rhythm, the series could go to LA for Game 7.