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NBA playoffs: Mavericks crush Clippers as Luka Doncic shines and James Harden disappears, Celtics oust Heat

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The Mavericks pushed the Clippers to the brink of elimination, and the Celtics sent Miami home

May 2, 2024 at 9:11 am ET • 1 min read

The Dallas Mavericks have pushed the Los Angeles Clippers to the brink of elimination in the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Mavs ran away from the Kawhi Leonard-less Clippers on Wednesday night as Luka Doncic scored 35 points in a 123-93 win that gave them a 3-2 series lead. The Clippers had won two previous games in the series without Leonard -- who is dealing with knee inflammation -- but they struggled in Game 5. No Clipper scored more than 15 points, and James Harden was held to seven points on 2-for-12 shooting.

The 30-point loss was the largest playoff defeat in Clippers history, and it wasn't the only playoff blowout on Wednesday.

Earlier in the night, the Celtics dismantled the Heat to advance to the second round. Boston was up big early and cruised to a 34-point win to eliminate the defending Eastern Conference champs. The Celtics became the first Eastern Conference team to advance in this year's playoff bracket, as just 12 teams remain in the hunt for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Here are Wednesday's final scores, along with a few takeaways from the night.

NBA playoffs scores: Wednesday, May 1

Celtics exorcize demons

Granted they didn't have their best player (and Celtics kryptonite) Jimmy Butler for the entire series, but this is exactly the way that Boston needed to dispatch a Miami squad that the C's have met in four of the last five postseasons and the team that eliminated them last year. Great teams don't mess around with opponents that have no business competing with them, and that's how the Celtics behaved on Wednesday, thoroughly dominating the Heat for the third consecutive game to pick up a 4-1 series win.

If you consider Boston's Game 2 loss to be a product of scorching shooting from Miami, the Celtics can gain confidence from the fact that they won the other four games by an average of 22 points. The Cavs and Magic both had better records than Miami during the regular season, but it's hard to imagine that the Celtics aren't breathing a sigh of relief after getting past those pesky Heat.

Horford passes latest test

The way the Celtics played almost makes you forget that a key member of their starting five -- Kristaps Porzingis -- was not only out for Game 5, but could also reportedly miss their entire second-round series. The offseason acquisition has been essential to Boston's dominance thus far, so it was fair to ask how they would replace the dynamism he brings at both ends.

Enter Al Horford, who just shows up with his lunchpail every postseason and gives the Celtics exactly what they need. He put up 8 points, six rebounds and three assists in Wednesday's clincher, making a 3-pointer while going 3 for 4 from the field. Though not the volume shooter that Porzingis is, Horford still commands attention with his ability to stretch the floor.

This is nothing new, of course. Horford stepped in for various starters throughout the year, and has played whatever role the Celtics need from him over the course of his six seasons with the franchise. Though he only played 22 minutes on Wednesday, he'll be featured much more prominently this postseason as long as Porzingis is out.

Luka flu game?

In addition to playing through a sprained knee, Luka Doncic said he has been sick for the past week and felt so badly on Wednesday that he probably wouldn't have played if it were a regular-season game. The Mavericks are certainly glad he decided to give it a go.

Doncic put up 35 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in the Game 5 win, absolutely taking over in the third quarter en route to his best game of the 2024 postseason so far. He's now the fifth player in NBA history with 20 playoff games of 30 or more points at age 25 or younger. You may have heard of the others on the list: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Jayson Tatum.

The last thing in the world the Clippers (or the rest of the NBA, for that matter) wanted to see was Doncic with his swagger back. If the Mavs are able to close out the series at home on Friday, the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder will be next in line to face his wrath.

Harden in hiding

Sigh. Thus is the paradox of James Harden in the playoffs. After an absolutely masterful clutch performance to close out the Game 4 upset in Dallas, Harden was a complete no-show at home on Wednesday night. He scored just seven points on 2-for-12 shooting, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range, committing four turnovers on a night where he seemed oddly disengaged.

I guess I shouldn't say "oddly," since this has happened to Harden basically every postseason of his career. He'll have one phenomenal game followed by a total stinker that leaves you wondering if it's even the same person behind that beard.

With Kawhi Leonard out, there's nowhere for Harden to hide. He needs to be on the level of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving for the Clippers to have a shot in this series. We'll see how (whether?) he shows up in Friday's Game 6 in Dallas with the Clippers' season on the line.

 

FINAL: Mavericks 123, Clippers 93

(Dallas leads series, 3-2)

The Mavericks had a one-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back, building and building and building until the win was safely in hand early into the fourth quarter. When all was said and done, they had handed the Clippers their worst playoff loss in franchise history. Luka Doncic was simply spectacular, taking over in the third quarter en route to 35 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.

His performance was bolstered by hot shooting nights from Maxi Kleber and Derrick Jones Jr., which allowed the Mavericks to take the series lead despite just 14 points from Kyrie Irving.

On the other side, not much went right for the Clippers, particularly offensively. They couldn't throw the ball into the ocean for the entire game, while James Harden and Paul George went a combined 6 for 25 from the field and 3 for 13 from 3-point range. The Mavs will look to close out the series on Friday in Dallas.

Notable stats:

 

FINAL: Celtics 118, Heat 84

(Boston wins series, 4-1)

A dreadful Game 2 had Boston fans experiencing horrific flashbacks to previous disappointments at the hands of Miami, but the Celtics erased that blip on the radar to turn in an utterly dominant series, capped off by a laugher of a Game 5 in which they excelled in every facet of the game. The offensive formula is tried and true for the Celtics -- create pressure with two tremendous individual scorers, then spray the ball out to a host of knock-down shooters. They executed it to perfection on Wednesday to close out the Heat.

Boston will advance to play the winner of the Cavs-Magic series, and both teams present similar strengths and weaknesses -- excellent defenses that at times get bogged down in offensive ruts. The Celtics will be a huge favorite against either opponent, but the Cavs have a little more polished offensive punch with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, plus the size to bother a Boston frontline that will likely be without Kristaps Porzingis for the duration of the series.

That being said, the only way the Celtics will lose the upcoming series is if there's another major injury or if they simply get in their own way. The manner in which they closed out Miami suggests that the Celtics are on a mission to get back to the Finals  -- and finish the job this time.

Notable Game 5 stats:

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End of 3rd quarter - Mavericks 89, Clippers 69

Josh Green's four-point play from the corner extinguished the brief Clippers rally that was taking place, putting the Mavs back up by 20. Luka Doncic took over in the third, leading Dallas to 43 points in the quarter, while the defense was absolutely on point. The Clippers are shooting 38% from the field for the game, including 24% (6 for 25) from 3-point range.

 

Mavs in total control

The Mavericks have dominated the Clippers on both ends of the floor in the second half, opening up a 23-point lead. Luka Doncic has been nearly unstoppable and Dallas' defense hasn't given the Clippers any room to breathe.

This is where they truly miss having a healthy Kawhi Leonard, someone who can drum up offense out of thin air when nothing else is working.

 

Ugly start to 2nd half

This isn't exactly the beautiful game. Between turnovers and missed shots, it's been a dreadful start to the third quarter for both teams. James Harden and Paul George have no answers for the Mavericks defense right now.

 

Halftime - Mavericks 56, Clippers 46

Dallas ended the half on a high note, outscoring the Clippers by nine in the second quarter to take a double-digit lead into halftime. The story of the game has been their defense on James Harden and Paul George, who have combined to score just 12 points on 4-for-15 shooting, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc.

On the other side, together Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have managed the pace, finding their rim runners with lobs and kicking out to shooters. The Mavs received a huge boost from Maxi Kleber, who made four 3s in the second quarter to pretty much explain the difference in scores. In order for the Clippers to come back, Harden and George have to figure out how to get themselves going.

Notable stats:

 

Mann-ing up

With James Harden and Paul George struggling to put the ball in the basket, the Clippers' first-half MVP has been Terance Mann, who's come up with 11 points in a variety of ways. He just made himself available on a great cut, then hung in the air for the strong finish. Mann also has the unenviable task of being Luka Doncic's primary defender, so without his efforts on both ends, the Clippers could be down by a whole lot more.

 

Mavs offense picking up

After going 1 for 10 from 3-point range to start the game, the Mavs have made three out of their next six attempts, with all the makes coming from backup big man Maxi Kleber. Dallas desperately needs someone other than Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to make shots, and so far Kleber and Derrick Jones Jr. have accounted for all of the Mavericks' 3s. That shooting opens up the paint, where Dallas has scored 24 of its 41 points.

 

End of 1st quarter - Mavericks 25, Clippers 24

These games have mostly been close, so why not start this one off close as well? The stars have come out to play early, and Dallas has done the bulk of its damage in the paint, where 20 of the 25 points have been scored. They've also been ice-cold from deep, however, making just one of their first 10 attempts.

Notable stats:

 

Another hot start for Zu

Ivica Zubac has come out strong once again for the Clippers, dominating the paint for six early points. We all know that by the end, Paul George, James Harden, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are going to be the main offensive forces. The question will be which duo gets more support. So far, Zubac is doing his part.

 

Clippers vs. Mavericks -- Game 5 info

We're just a few minutes from the tip at Crypto.com Arena. Here's how to watch tonight's game.

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Jaylen Brown pouring it on

 

End of 3rd quarter - Celtics 98, Heat 66

Well this one's in the bag, so the the Celtics will win the series in five games and look ahead toward the winner of the Cavs-Magic series. This was exactly the way that Boston wanted to dispatch Miami (even though they were missing Butler and Rozier), and they'll take that confidence with them for as long as their playoff run lasts.

Notable stats:

 

White continues hot streak

 

Halftime - Celtics 68, Heat 46

We're never going to rule out the Miami Heat under any scenario, but ... yeah, this one's gonna be tough. The Celtics absolutely walloped the short-handed Heat from the jump, bombarding them with 3-pointers and drives to the basket. Miami hasn't been able to generate any consistent offense, with Bam Adebayo pretty much the only one who has anything going. If you're looking for reasons for Miami optimism, they went 3 for 16 from 3-point range in the first half, so there's a chance they could get hot after the break. They'll have to if they're going to extend this series.

Notable stats:

 

Celtics trying to end this one early

An absolute barrage from the Celtics in the first half has them leading by almost 30 points. They're hitting shots from all conceivable angles while the Heat struggle to get anything going offensively. It's going to take a major lapse (and a major comeback) for this series to be extended to a sixth game.

 

End of 1st quarter - Celtics 41, Heat 23

This was just about a worst-case scenario for the Heat out of the gates in Game 5, giving up a 41-spot in the first quarter while allowing eight made 3s and 12 points in the paint. Not only that, but Jayson Tatum may be on the way to breaking of his 3-point funk, going 2-for-2 from deep in the first quarter. On the other side, Bam Adebayo has been pretty much the only source of Maimi offense, putting up 12 of their 23 points on 5-for-9 shooting. Tyler Herro has been noticeably quiet, going scoreless while missing all five of his field goal attempts.

Notable stats:

 

Heat defense struggling early

The Celtics have gotten pretty much anything they've wanted early in Game 5, with 12 of their 15 points coming in the paint. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White have done the damage so far, accounting for all of Boston's points. Erik Spoelstra wants to limit the Celtics' 3-point attempts, but it can't be a constant parade to the rim, as many of these finishes have been quite easy for Brown and White.

 

Porzingis 'likely' out for second round

If Boston should advance, it sounds like they might be without Kristaps Porzingis for their entire second-round matchup with either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Orlando Magic. Porzingis suffered a strained calf in Game 4 and will not suit up for Game 5. Al Horford is starting tonight, and would likely remain in the first unit for as long as Porzingis is unable to play.

 

Wright, Horford starting

The Heat will go small(ish) to start Game 5, with guard Delon Wright starting in place of the injured Jaime Jaquez Jr. The rookie joins Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier on the sideline, adding to the lack of depth for Miami. For the Celtics, it will be veteran Al Horford making the start in place of the injured Kristaps Porzingis. This is nothing unusual for Boston, who used Horford as Porzingis' replacement multiple times during the season due to injury or rest.

 

Celtics vs. Heat -- Game 5 info

We're just a few minutes from the tip at TD Garden. Here's how to watch tonight's game.

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