NBA playoffs scores, takeaways: Kyrie Irving's second-half barrage closes out Clippers, Magic force Game 7

May 4, 2024 at 8:31 am ET • 1 min read

The 2024 NBA postseason continued on Friday night, and only one first-round series was left standing. The Orlando Magic started things off with a tense 103-96 Game 6 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to force a seventh and decisive game on Sunday in Cleveland. The Magic withstood a 50-point barrage from Donovan Mitchell, who went a sparkling 22-for-36 from the field. Their matchup is the only first-round series to reach Game 7 this postseason.

In the nightcap, the LA Clippers were eliminated in six games by the Dallas Mavericks, 114-101, thanks to a masterful second-half performance from Kyrie Irving. The veteran guard finished with 30 points, six rebounds and four assists on 11-for-19 shooting, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range. His backcourt mate Luka Doncic was no slouch himself, putting up 28 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Dallas will face the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round, with Game 1 set for Tuesday evening.

Here are the final scores and a couple of takeaway's from Friday night's action.

Friday's playoff games:

• Game 6: Magic 103, Cavaliers 96 -- (Series tied 3-3)
• Game 6: Mavericks 114, Clippers 100 -- (DAL wins series 4-2)
  
  

Takeaways from Friday night

Two best words in sports

Game 7, here we come. The Orlando Magic beat Donovan Mitchell the Cavaliers on Friday night to tie up the series and force a final, decisive game on Sunday in Cleveland. Mitchell was simply phenomenal, scoring 50 points, including all 18 in the fourth quarter for the Cavs. In the end, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs were too much down the stretch -- the trio accounted for 75 of the Magic's 103 points.

Cleveland has the experience advantage on Sunday, especially with Mitchell's playoff battles as a member of the Utah Jazz, and the home team has won every game this series. No matter who ends up advancing to play the Boston Celtics next round, however, we should be in store for a tense, exciting Game 7.

"This is the moment that you play for," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of the upcoming Game 7. "It's not going to be easy, nor do we want it to be easy. That's what this group has always embraced all year long. The harder it is, the better we will be."

Closeout Kyrie

After a slow first half in which he scored just two points, Irving went absolutely insane in the second half, scoring 28 points to put the Clippers to bed. Irving is just the player you want with the chance to advance, as he is now 13-0 in closeout games over the course of his career.

Once he saw a couple shots go in the basket, there was simply no stopping Irving, who scored from all conceivable spots and angles. His incredible dribbling display that turned into a fadeaway, and-one 3-pointer from the corner was the final dagger in the Clippers' coffin.

Dallas moves on to face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, with Game 1 set for Tuesday evening.

"It's gonna be up-tempo, we've got a bunch of young guys we're going against," Irving said of the impending matchup with the Thunder. "I think I'm one of the oldest in the playoffs, so I feel like it's part of my responsibility to get my guys ready. And we'll be ready to go in OKC."

FINAL - Mavericks 114, Clippers 101

(Dallas wins series, 4-2)

Behind a tremendous second half from Kyrie Irving, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 6 at home on Friday to advance to the Western Conference semifinals, where they'll meet the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Irving was just too much, scoring 28 of his 30 points in the second half to carry the Mavs to victory. Luka Doncic still wasn't terribly efficient, but he looked much more spry in getting to his spots on the floor and running a bit more in transition.

The Clippers simply ran out of gas without the services of Kawhi Leonard, who missed four of the six games in the series. Paul George and James Harden combined to go 11 for 34 from the field on Friday as the Mavericks defense made things as difficult for them as possible.

Game 1 of the Mavericks-Thunder series is set for Tuesday night.

Notable stats:

• Luka Doncic: 28 pts, 13 ast, 7 reb
• Kyrie Irving: 30 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast
• P.J. Washington: 14 pts, 4-8 3P
• Paul George: 18 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast
• James Harden: 16 pts, 13 ast, 2 stl
• Norman Powell: 20 pts, 4 reb

FINAL: Magic 103 -- Cavaliers 96

As Zaza Pachulia once said, we're going to Game 7, baby. The Magic controlled the fourth quarter to keep their season alive with a gritty win, as the home team moved to 6-0 in this series. Will that trend continue in Game 7 in Cleveland? We'll find out on Sunday afternoon. 

The Magic trailed by five points heading into the fourth quarter, but started the frame on a 6-0 run to take the lead. From there, the teams traded baskets in a dramatic stretch that saw multiple ties and lead changes until Paolo Banchero put the Magic in front for good with a 3-pointer at the 3:39 mark. 

Banchero (27 points), Franz Wagner (26) and Jalen Suggs (22) combined for 75 of Orlando's 53 points, as they outdueled Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, who had 71 of Cleveland's 96. Mitchell scored 50 points and had all 18 of the Cavs' fourth-quarter points, but it was not enough. 

See New Posts

The end may be near for Clippers

The Clippers may have one last run in them, but it certainly looks like Dallas has seized control of the game. There just hasn't been enough punch for the Clippers offense, so even when they manage to get a stop they usually come up empty on the other end. If Dallas can hang on, they'll advance to play the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round.

End of 3rd quarter - Mavericks 87, Clippers 72

After a slow start by his standards, Kyrie Irving absolutely erupted in the third quarter, scoring 13 of his 15 points as the Mavericks put up 35 points in the frame. Dallas is playing significantly faster, getting out for a few quick layups and kick-out 3-pointers. Meanwhile the Clippers continue to struggle to find consistent offense, with Paul George and James Harden going 10 for 29 from the field combined.

Notable stats:

• Luka Doncic: 25 pts, 10 ast, 6 reb
• Kyrie Irving: 15 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast
• P.J. Washington: 14 pts, 4-8 3P
• Paul George: 18 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast
• James Harden: 13 pts, 9 ast, 2 stl
• Norman Powell: 11 pts, 3 reb

Halftime - Mavericks 52, Clippers 52

After looking like they might pull away in the second quarter, the Mavericks allowed the Clippers back into the game with a lot of fouling and costly turnovers. None of the stars have played particularly well, which should give confidence to both sides heading into the second half that if their superstar duos can get going, they can take it home.

James Harden said before the game that the pressure was all on Dallas, and it will continue to mount if this game stays close late.

Notable stats:

• Luka Doncic: 18 pts, 7 ast, 5-15 FG
• Kyrie Irving: 2 pts, 5 reb, 1-6 FG
• P.J. Washington: 11 pts, 3-6 3P
• Paul George: 14 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast
• James Harden: 9 pts, 7 ast, 2 stl
• Norman Powell: 10 pts, 2 reb

Fouls galore

Every player who has appeared in the game besides Maxi Kleber (who played five minutes before leaving with an injury) has now collected at least one personal foul. There have been 24 total -- 12 on each side. Playoff basketball, baby!

Kleber doubtful to return

Mavs big man Maxi Kleber injured his shoulder and is doubtful to return to the game. He's their stretch option from the center position, so the Mavs may have to go with PJ Washington at center if they want a look besides Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford.

Disjointed game -- advantage Clippers?

There has been zero flow to this game, and you have to wonder if that works in the Clippers' favor even though they're losing now. Dallas relies on beautiful ball-handling and passing offensively, while the Clippers have struggled to get anything going for the last two games. Perhaps junking it up will help keep them hanging around, then they'll hope that Paul George and James Harden can show up in the fourth quarter.

End of 1st quarter - Mavericks 34, Clippers 26

The Clippers weathered an early storm from an energetic Mavericks squad, settling things down with a few designed sets from Ty Lue to get easy buckets. Luka Doncic looks comfortable, but is missing shots he usually makes -- the case for most of this series. PJ Tucker got the start and definitely brought physicality. James Harden and Paul George look much more engaged than they did in Game 5. We'll see how the rest unfolds.

Notable stats:

• Luka Doncic: 14 pts, 4 ast, 4-11 FG
• Kyrie Irving: 0 pts, 0-1 FG
• P.J. Washington: 8 pts, 2-4 3P
• Paul George: 10 pts, 4 reb
• James Harden: 6 pts, 3 ast

Bruising start

Fouls, pushing, shoving, slapping. We've seen a very physical start to Game 6 -- what else would you expect with PJ Tucker on the floor? The refs need to establish the whistle here, but they're going to have to let a lot go if there's going to be any flow to this game. Daniel Gafford picked up two early fouls, and he may not be the only one in trouble before the night is over.

PJ Tucker starting for Clippers

After sitting for the entire series, Tucker got some late minutes against the Mavs in Game 5 and Ty Lue must have liked what he saw. He gets the start tonight in place of Amir Coffey, and will likely draw the assignment of being Luka Doncic's primary defender. That will allow Terance Mann to take Kyrie Irving, allowing Paul George to potentially get a little more rest for the offensive end.

Anthony with an impossible finish

Cole Anthony hasn't really done much in this series, but he made his mark early in the fourth with an unbelievable driving layup. He came off a screen, spun past Max Strus, then soared to the basket for an acrobatic finish over Georges Niang. Just a truly audacious attempt. 

Third quarter: Cavaliers 78 -- Magic 73

The Cavaliers won the third quarter, 29-20, to take a five-point lead into the fourth quarter, and are now 12 minutes away from their first playoff series win since 2018. It's been all Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland so far -- 53 of their 78 points -- and those two are going to have to take them home if they want to close this series out on the road. 

Cavaliers open third quarter on 13-2 run

The Cavaliers couldn't find any consistent offense in the first half, but they've been on fire coming out fo the break. They've already made more 3-pointers in the first few minutes of the third quarter than they did in the entire first half, and have used a 13-2 run to take a seven-point lead. 

This is dangerous territory for the Magic, who need to come up with a response out of this timeout. 

Halftime: Magic 53 -- Cavaliers 49

As expected, this game has been a grind for both teams. The Magic took the lead in the middle of the first quarter and have held it ever since, but have not been able to pull away; their biggest advantage is eight points. 

Franz Wagner is leading the way for Orlando with 18 points and three blocks, but he has cooled off after a brilliant first few minutes. Jalen Suggs has also chipped in 13 points thanks to four made 3-pointers. As a team, the Magic have already made seven 3s, just three fewer than their average of 10 for the series. 

Donovan Mitchell has a game-high 19 points on 9-of-15 from the field. The Cavaliers have been brutal from the outside (1-of-14 from 3), but are dominating in the paint. They've scored 40 of their 49 points in the paint, and are outscoring the Magic by 22 points in that department. 

First quarter: Magic 29 -- Cavaliers 25

The Magic must win tonight to keep their season alive, and they've come out with exactly the type of energy you'd expect in that situation. Franz Wagner has been terrific and leads the way with a game-high 14 points, and they've already made four 3-pointers -- nearly half of their average for the playoffs. 

Franz Wagner off to another strong start at home

The Magic's young forward was incredible in their Game 4 win at home, but had a tough time in Game 5. Back in Orlando tonight he looks far more comfortable and is off to a strong start with 14 points in the first nine minutes of action. He's nearly matched Cleveland by himself and has 56% of Orlando's points so far. 

I agree to receive the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies.

By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount's Privacy Policy.

Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.

Thanks for signing up!

Keep an eye on your inbox.

Sorry!

There was an error processing your subscription.