The Dallas Mavericks earned a crucial Game 5 victory on Wednesday night over the Los Angeles Clippers. Luka Doncic, despite playing through injury and an illness, led the way in the 123-93 win. Doncic's willingness to play despite the circumstances impressed Kyrie Irving.
“Just how much he (Doncic) means to us as a group, but also the pride he takes in taking care of himself when he's not feeling 100 percent,” Irving said, via Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “He's still going to go out there and play. For me, as a teammate, I enjoy that. I enjoy being around somebody like that that's going to push themselves but also be smart and still make an impact on the game… Even though he's not feeling well, he's not able to be 100 percent, he's still able to lead our team in his own way.
“We just need him to continue to be himself and when he's being aggressive like that, putting those daggers in every single quarter, it makes a difference for us.”
Dallas needed to start strong in Game 5. Getting things going early had been an issue for the Mavs in previous games during the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. On Wednesday night, the Mavericks entered the half with a 56-46 lead.
The Mavericks then took complete control in the third quarter and did not look back.
Mavericks sitting in good position for Game 6
Luka Doncic is dealing with a sprained right knee as well as an illness. Yet, he still managed to score 35 points while recording 10 assists and seven rebounds in Game 5.
Kyrie Irving finished with 14 points, six assists, and four rebounds. He played hard throughout the entire game and ended up leading the Mavs with a plus-minus of 35.
Dallas also received impressive performances from a number of other players on the roster. After their comeback attempt was spoiled in Game 4 at home, Wednesday's effort was a quality answer.
The Mavericks need to approach Game 6 with a similar mindset. They cannot afford to let their guard down. Dallas tends to play well in front of their home fans in big games, but the Clippers will obviously have no shortage of motivation on Friday.
Starting strong will be crucial. The Mavs have found ways to perform well late in games during the series thus far. In their defeats, though, they have often started slow which led to difficult comeback attempts.
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will play pivotal roles in setting the tone early. They will likely enter the first quarter of Game 6 with an aggressive mindset.
Friday's affair projects to be competitive throughout. The Clippers obviously want to avoid elimination, while the Mavericks certainly do not want to have to play a Game 7 in Los Angeles.
Game 6's tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 PM EST at the American Airlines Center in Dallas as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks look to close out the series.
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