LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Paul George scored 35 points, Kawhi Leonard added 32 and the Los Angeles Clippers rolled past the Dallas Mavericks 154-111 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Montrezl Harrell added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who set a franchise record for points in a playoff game. Los Angeles can clinch the series on Thursday.
Dallas’ Luka Doncic, who hit a game-winner at the buzzer in Game 4 to cap off a 43-point triple-double, was held to 22 points on 6-for-17 shooting.
Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis sat out with right knee soreness. It was the second straight game the 7-foot-3 Latvian missed.
Dallas coach Rick Carlisle was ejected in the third quarter of the testy game, which included six techincals and a flagrant-1 foul.
Leonard scored 22 points and Paul George scored 18 to help Los Angeles take a 76-52 lead at halftime. The Clippers shot 61% in the first half and led by as many as 27 points.
The Clippers continued the onslaught in the second half, bumping the lead to as many as 45 points.
TIP-INS
Mavericks: Doncic was issued a technical foul in the second quarter. … G Tim Hardaway Jr. was called for a flagrant-1 after winding up and hitting George in the face on a drive. … Assistant Stephen Silas took over as coach after Carlisle was ejected.
Clippers: Shot 67% from the field in the first quarter. … Hardaway and Los Angeles’ Marcus Morris were called for double technicals in the second quarter. C Ivica Zubac was called for a technical in the third.
UP NEXT
Game 6 is Thursday.
