On April 24, the first round of the NBA playoffs continued. The Los Angeles Clippers sat at home and ushered in Game 2 of the series against the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks defeated the Clippers 96-93 to tie the series to 1-1, and the next third game will be moved to the Mavericks' home court.
Clippers: Harden 22 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists, George 22 points and 4 assists, Leonard 15 points and 7 rebounds, Zubac 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Mavericks: Doncic 32 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists, Washington 18 points and 6 rebounds, Jones 10 points and 7 rebounds, Irving 23 points and 6 rebounds.
In the first half of the first quarter of the game, the two sides went back and forth, and the score difference did not widen. Doncic's two three-pointers gave the Mavericks a seven-point lead at 18-11 at 3:29. The Clippers scored four points in the final 1:15 to close the gap. At the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks led 23-19.
Leonard and Powell hit three-pointers in the second quarter to give the Clippers a one-point lead over the Mavericks at 9:35, 26-25. The Mavericks scored six straight points under Doncic's leadership to take the lead on the court again. After that, the two teams fell into a tug-of-war on the court, and at halftime, the Mavericks led by four points at 45-41.
Doncic and Irving scored five straight points in the third quarter, the Mavericks stretched the gap to seven points, and Harden and Leonard responded with a 5-0 run, and the Clippers closed the gap again. Zubac hit two free throws as the Clippers tied it at 55 halfway through the third quarter. Doncic and Irving hit three-pointers to give the Mavericks a six-point advantage. The Clippers responded with a 7-0 run, and the game fell into a stalemate, and the Clippers led by one point at 66-65 at the end of the third quarter.
Powell's three-pointer and Zubac's throw-in in the final quarter helped the Clippers lead by six points at 73-67. The Mavericks launched a three-point attack wave after a timeout, and the Mavericks led the Clippers by eight points at 5:18 81-73. The Clippers stubbornly chased it to 81-84, but then Kleber and Doncic's three-pointers gave the Mavericks a nine-point lead in the final 1:26. The Clippers didn't give up, and Leonard made a layup with 20.5 seconds left to make it 90-93. Irving hit one of two free throws, but then the Mavericks controlled the rebound, and Irving went to the free throw line and hit two free throws to give the Mavericks a 96-90 lead. The Clippers hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, but it was too late, and the Mavericks won 96-93.