The Dallas Mavericks nearly pulled off a historic NBA playoffs comeback in Game 4 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, rallying from a 31-point deficit in the first half.
Dallas took a 105–104 lead with 2:14 remaining in the fourth quarter on a layup by Kyrie Irving, who also hit a long three-pointer on the previous possession. However, a stepback three-pointer from the corner by Paul George gave the Clippers a 107–105 lead that ultimately held up for a 116–111 victory. The series is now tied 2-2 going into Wednesday’s Game 5.
George scored 33 points, shooting 11-for-19 (and 7-for-10 from three). He got Los Angeles off to a scorching start, notching 16 points in the first quarter and totaling 26 points in the first half in what looked like it would be a Clippers blowout.
Harden also tallied 33 points for Los Angeles, but was crucial at the end with 15 points in the fourth quarter on 6-for-8 shooting. Overall, he shot 12-for-17 from the field and 4-for-5 on three-pointers.
The Clippers led 39–16 after the first quarter and 66–49 at halftime. But the Mavericks nearly erased that deficit in the third quarter, outscoring L.A. 29–16.
A major factor in the Mavericks’ third-quarter comeback was shutting down George and Harden in after explosive performances in the first half. After combining for 44 points in the opening frame, George was limited to two points on 1-for-3 shooting while Harden went scoreless.
Had the Clippers lost, they would’ve been on both sides of the largest playoff comeback in NBA history. In 2019, L.A. was down by 31 in Game 2 of their 2019 first-round series with the Golden State Warriors and came back to win 135–131.
No Kawhi was a problem
George’s star performance helped a Clippers lineup that was missing Kawhi Leonard, who was ruled out for Game 4 with right knee inflammation. President of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said it was the team’s decision to keep Leonard out and his status for the rest of the series is uncertain.
Leonard played in Games 2 and 3 of the series after missing Game 1 and the final eight games of the regular season. But the 12-year veteran wasn’t very effective, scoring a combined 24 points in his two games.
Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday with the series returning to Los Angeles.
Source Agencies
