At 10:51 p.m. Central time, the Clippers could see their season slipping away. They were down by 20 points when coach Tyronn Lue called a timeout with 9:24 left in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.
He grabbed his clipboard to draw up a play with his coaching staff gathered around him and his players looking weary from the onslaught from the Mavericks and their point guard Kyrie Irving, who had 28 of his 30 points in the second half.
The Clippers had played the Mavericks to a standstill through the halfway point of the game, but they faded in the second half and so did their season, a 114-101 defeat at American Airlines Center sending the Clippers home for the season.
They lost the best-of-seven first-round series 4-2 and now have questions to answer about the future of the franchise.
The Clippers again had to play without their best player, Kawhi Leonard, who missed his fourth game in the series because of inflammation in his right knee. He played 68 games during the regular season, but missed the final eight with the knee issue. He played in Game 2 and 3, but was limited.
Paul George, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds, has a player option for next season at $48.7 million, but he’s looking for an extension that has yet to come.
James Harden, who had 16 points, 13 assists and seven assists, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will be looking to re-sign with the Clippers.
Lue has one year left on his deal for next season, but he also is looking for an extension and he has teams that will be after him if he becomes available.
Which leaves Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank with decisions to make.
The Clippers trailed by 13 points in the second quarter, but they didn’t blink just because their offense was flowing.
Instead, the Clippers kept up the defensive pressure to turn the momentum.
Clippers guard Norman Powell attempts a driving layup after beating Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber (42) and guard Dante Exum (0) down the lane.
(Jeffrey McWhorter / Associated Press)
By the half, the Clippers had tied the score at 52-52.
They had harassed Doncic and Irving enough to make them shoot a combined six for21 from the field in the first 24 minutes.
But all the hard work by the Clippers in the first half was missing in the third quarter. They were outscored 35-20 in the third, eventually trailing 87-72 to end the quarter.
