Basketball

Westbrook finished with a season-high 36 points and laid on 10 assists in the victory, which snapped Memphis' seven-game winning streak.

In the process, Westbrook became the first player in NBA history to have a 30-point and 10-assist game with five teams, having achieved the feat with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Houston Rockets, the Washington Wizards, the Los Angeles Lakers and now the Clippers.

The sides will meet again in Memphis on Friday, with the Clippers having pulled away down the stretch on this occasion.

"Just being composed, as a point guard, I was taught the last five or six minutes of the game were very important," Westbrook said of the fourth quarter.

"Getting stops, getting good shots. We did a good job of executing down the stretch."

Westbrook's team-mate Robert Covington had a season-best 27 points, and he anticipates a tough run-in with plenty of teams in the playoff picture in the Western Conference.

"It's going to be tight," said Covington. "The West from four through 12 or 13 is like a three-game gap, something like that?

"Anything can happen. That's why these last five or six games for us are very important."

Another team pushing for a postseason place are the Clippers' city rivals the Lakers, who beat the Chicago Bulls 121-110.

Anthony Davis starred with 38 points and 10 rebounds, and believes the Lakers – eighth in the West – have what it takes to go on a deep run.

He said: "I think we've got everything we need. It's just about going out and applying it. We can definitely make a run. We've got all the right pieces from top to bottom.

"We owe this [Chicago] team. We owe Houston. We owe Minnesota. All these teams. Utah.

"So all these teams on this trip are teams that we lost to recently, and we want to get some get-back. And seeing as the situation that we're in, we need to win these games.

"So this is a time when we shouldn't shy away from the moment. We should embrace it and these are the moments that you live for as a player."

Davis' display garnered appreciation from coach Darvin Ham and superstar team-mate LeBron James.

"It all starts with A, man," Ham said, referring to Davis. "Him just playing with force, him not settling, putting pressure on the defense to foul, him just loving and living in the paint."

James added: "He always plays like that. Just got to kick him in the a** every now and then. But he always plays like that so I never worry about him."

Westbrook was hurt with around 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, colliding with Jordan Poole as he attempted to poke the ball past the Washington guard.

The 2017 NBA MVP exited the game around two minutes later and reports have suggested he may miss around a month, having sat out 14 games when he broke his other hand in the second game of the 2014-15 season.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue, however, was unable to offer a timeline on Westbrook's recovery after the game, saying: "I just feel bad for Russ right now. 

"You never want to see a player get hurt. Poole drove around, and he tried to deflect it from the back. I think he hit his elbow with his hand.

"So we don't know what timetable, we don't know if he needs surgery or anything yet. But he's out right now. So we're just trying to figure it out."

Westbrook was the last remaining Clipper to have not missed a single game all season, but the team handled his absence well, improving to 38-20 with a dominant win.

James Harden led the team with 28 points while Kawhi Leonard added 27 and Paul George tacked on 22, as the Clippers bounced back from Wednesday's defeat to a LeBron James-inspired Los Angeles Lakers team.

For however long Westbrook is out, Lue knows he will be a major miss, saying: "He's going to stay engaged regardless. That's just who he is. 

"We need him around, we need his energy, we need him talking, the way he leads.

"Until he is able to get back, we're going to miss him. So hopefully it's a speedy recovery and we get him back sooner rather than later, but I'm not sure of the timetable right now."

The duo, who have a combined 11 All-NBA selections, both played in Wednesday's 99-88 home win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game where George posted his first triple-double in a Clippers uniform.

Leonard is yet to play in both legs of a back-to-back since returning from his long-term ACL injury, while George has played in all six games – including a back-to-back – since returning from his brief absence with a hamstring strain.

As a team, the Clippers sit sixth in the Western Conference with a 17-13 record, but they are 14-8 in games George is playing in, and an even more impressive 8-2 in games Leonard suits up for.

They will face a Suns team dealing with their own absences as starting center Deandre Ayton and backup point guard Cameron Payne are both out with injuries, as well as starting wing Cam Johnson, who has not played since November 4.

The Suns, at 16-12, are one spot ahead of the Clippers in the fifth seed, but are on a five-game losing streak after what was a promising 15-6 start to the campaign.

After this game, the Clippers should have their star tandem back for home games against the Washington Wizards on Saturday and the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday, before embarking on a five-game road trip.

All three playoff games were postponed midweek amid protests over racial injustice following the shooting of Jacob Blake in the United States, after the Milwaukee Bucks opted not to play Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Orlando Magic.

The NBA also postponed Thursday's scheduled matchups, including the Clippers' Game 6 Western Conference meeting with the Dallas Mavericks at Walt Disney World Resort.

A Friday or Saturday resumption is hoped within the league, as Rivers said his players are ready to continue the postseason following an emotional meeting in Orlando, Florida.

When asked if the Clippers – who lead the Mavericks 3-2 in the series – are ready to move forward, Rivers told Fox Prime Ticket: "Oh, they want to.

"They are really looking forward to it. Yesterday was a very difficult day though. Like their emotions were all over the place.

"They thought it was over. It was just a really tough day for all of them."

On the Bucks' decision to boycott Wednesday's clash having been on the cusp of the second round, Rivers said: "I loved it.

"I wish, obviously, they would've alerted all the players so they wouldn't have been blindsided by it, but I thought the action was the right action, especially because of who it was.

"I thought the one team that had to take action immediately was Milwaukee, if we were gonna take action at all, and again that's our choice."

With teams based in the Orlando bubble amid the coronavirus pandemic, Rivers added: "I do think being here, you feel like you are doing work but you don't see the work, you don't know what you are doing.

"Because you are in this bubble so you are kind of away from the real world. I thought some of the guys voiced that they know they are doing the right thing here, they know that they have a platform here but they just feel like they are not part of the movement in here. Because they don't see the results that all the things they've been saying has actually done [something] because they are in here."

George combined with Kawhi Leonard for 30 points but Montrezl Harrell (23 points), Lou Williams (22) and JaMychal Green (12 points and 12 rebounds) also did serious damage from the bench.

Having gone back to the locker room with just under four minutes remaining in the second quarter, George was ruled out during the third as the Clippers stretched their lead.

Rodney McGruder started the second half in place of George, who rounded out his work with 12 points in 16 minutes.

"Nothing happened [specifically] – he just felt tightness," Clippers coach Doc Rivers told ESPN

"He said it at half-time and then we just decided not to bring him back. So he's going to be evaluated clearly."

The Clippers are back in action on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies – the first game of a home back-to-back set before they welcome the New York Knicks.

The Los Angeles Clippers agreed to send Westbrook to the Utah Jazz on Thursday, as part of a sign-and-trade deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Jazz are expected to reach a contract buyout agreement with Westbrook, opening the door for him to join the Denver Nuggets.

Denver will be the sixth team Westbrook has played for in the last seven seasons.

To complete the trade, Utah will also receive a swap of second-round draft picks and cash from Los Angeles, while shipping guard Kris Dunn to the Clippers.

The 35-year-old Westbrook was named the NBA MVP in 2016-17, averaging a career-high 31.6 points, along with 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists.

In 2023-24 for the Clippers, he averaged career lows of 11.1 points and 4.5 assists with 5 boards. He came off the bench in 57 of the 68 games he played, shooting 27.3 per cent from 3-point range - the second-lowest mark among the 226 players with at least 150 attempts from beyond the arc.

The Nuggets still believe he can provide depth off the bench and help them make another run at a title after being eliminated in the Western Conference semi-finals in May.

The Clippers were ousted by the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, with Westbrook averaging 6.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the six play-off games.

In 1,162 games in a 16-year career, Westbrook has averages of 21.7 points, 8.1 assists and 7.1 rebounds. His 199 career triple-doubles are the most in NBA history.

Dunn has career averages of 7.9 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 boards since being drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016.

In starting 32 of 66 games for the Jazz last season, the 30-year-old Dunn averaged 5.4 points, 3.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds.

Two-time NBA Finals MVP Leonard has been out since June with a torn right ACL which forced him out of last season's playoffs.

George has missed the Clippers' past 22 games, having been sidelined with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right shooting elbow since December 22.

The Clippers made the 2020-21 Conference Finals but are 27-27 this season, with injuries taking their toll.

Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank conceded he was uncertain whether 30-year-old small forward Leonard would return this season.

"I think the best answer is we don't know," Frank said. "He grinds every single day. He works. His focus is on his rehab.

"No one knows. He doesn't know. But all you can do is, just every day, continue to control what you can control and see how he responds."

Clippers head coach Ty Lue had alarmingly mentioned on Thursday that they "know Kawhi's probably not gonna come back," but he moved to clarify that comment.

"Hope is stronger than fear," Lue said. "So I'm hoping that these two guys can come back. But you never know."

Seven-time All-Star George will undergo an MRI on his elbow on February 24 but Frank said that would dictate his return date.

"You don't treat the MRI, you treat the player," Frank said. "When the MRI comes in, it's not a 'boom' that all of a sudden is a 'Eureka' moment for what we do. I think it's just part of the process.

"I think it's you see how Paul is responding. He's feeling better each and every day. The MRI is another kind of benchmark.

"I think the doctors put it all together and that's how they come to what the next steps are. My expectation is regardless of what the MRI says, it's just part of it. That's not going to be the ultimate decision-maker in what happens."

George has missed the Clippers' past five games due to a right elbow sprain. He last played on December 6 in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The seven-time NBA All-Star is averaging 25 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists across 24 games this season.

The 16-14 Clippers, who reached the Western Conference semifinals last season, have not been at full strength all season, with Kawhi Leonard still absent with an ACL knee injury, while Serge Ibaka, Jason Preston, Marcus Morris and Isaiah Hartenstein have all had issues too.

"It's frustrating," Clippers head coach Ty Lue said. "We can't get a rhythm of how we want to play when all of our guys are here.

"But everyone is dealing with the same thing, I am pretty sure... but just having a chance to have our whole team for five, 10 games, just see how it looks going forward.... But it is frustrating."

That is according to Clippers president Lawrence Frank after their elimination from the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Phoenix Suns, going down 4-1 in the first round.

During his end of season address, Frank insisted Leonard and George remain important to the organisation's ambitions, with both averaging 23.8 points per game in the regular season, though only made 52 and 56 appearances respectively.

"When we traded for Paul and signed Kawhi as a free agent in 2019, it wasn't for one or two years, wasn't three or four," Frank said. "Every year you have those guys, they give you a chance. And so it's about surrounding those guys to continue to improve your chances.

"Kawhi's a ceiling raiser. When you study past NBA champions, they have a top-five guy on their team, and Kawhi has shown that when healthy he can be the best player in the world. Paul is an eight-time All-Star now. So we're going to continue to build around those guys and look for every which way [to improve around them]."

Frank also said Leonard will be ready to go next season despite a torn meniscus, which meant he could not play in any of their last three games against the Suns, all defeats, while George has not played since March 21 after suffering a knee injury.

"Regardless of the treatment [for the meniscus], Kawhi will be ready for next year," Frank said. "The really encouraging thing is the ACL's firmly intact, which is great. So this is a meniscus tear. And then over the whatever next couple weeks, figure out what's going to be the best source of treatment."

Both Leonard and George are entering their fifth season with the Clippers, and have $48million player options for the 2024-25 campaign.

"Those guys are great players and they're great partners and we want to keep them as Clippers for a long time," Frank added. "And so we'll look forward to those [extension] conversations.

"And the No. 1 goal is 'How can we build a sustainable championship team?' And those guys have been great partners, so at the appropriate time, we look forward to sitting down with them."

The NBA returned to Los Angeles on Monday, with the home-town Clippers coming through with an inspiring win over the Miami Heat.

Harden and Ivica Zubac each stepped up with the fourth-seeded Clippers missing Leonard due to inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. Zubac set a play-off career high with 20 points while grabbing 15 rebounds, while Harden went 6 of 11 from 3-point range in addition to dishing out eight assists.

Los Angeles also used a strong defensive effort to gain the upper hand in this best-of-seven series. Fifth-seeded Dallas shot just 38.8 per cent for the game and especially struggled in the

second quarter, missing 19 of 21 field goal attempts while being outscored by a 22-8 margin for the period.

The Clippers took a commanding 56-30 half-time lead behind their dominant second quarter, as they held the Mavericks' star duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving to a combined 17 points on 5-of-19 shooting over the first two periods.

Irving regrouped in the second half to finish with 31 points. Doncic compiled 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, but the NBA MVP finalist ended 11 of 26 from the field and 4 of 12 from 3-point range.

Paul George added 22 points for Los Angeles, which shot 50 per cent (18 of 36) from 3-point range compared to 30.3 per cent for Dallas.

Game 2 will take place Tuesday in Los Angeles.

 Lillard carries Bucks past Pacers with Antetokounmpo still unavailable

The Milwaukee Bucks were also able to withstand the loss of a superstar in their series opener, as Damian Lillard set a franchise play-off record with 35 first-half points to lead the way in a 109-94 Game 1 win over the Indiana Pacers.

Lillard didn't score after half-time, though his prolific performance through two quarters was more than enough to give Milwaukee, the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed, a 1-0 series lead despite Giannis Antetokounmpo still recovering from a strained left calf he sustained late in the regular season.

The two-time league MVP's absence wasn't a major factor thanks in large part to Lillard, who tallied 19 first-quarter points as the Bucks opened up a 30-21 lead after 12 minutes before breaking the game open in the second.

Lillard put up 16 more points in the second quarter as Milwaukee outscored the Pacers by a 39-21 margin for the period to build a sizeable 69-42 lead at the break.

Khris Middleton scored 15 of his 23 points after half-time to keep the Bucks ahead by double digits the entire second half.

Middleton added 10 rebounds and Bobby Portis also notched a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards.

Sixth-seeded Indiana received 36 points and 13 rebounds from Pascal Siakam, but the Pacers shot just 20.5 per cent (8 of 39) from 3-point range and never led after the game's initial stages.

Indiana will attempt to bounce back in Tuesday's Game 2, which will again be held in Milwaukee.

 Celtics cruise past Butler-less Heat in series opener

The Miami Heat, on the other hand, had a far more difficult time dealing with two key players missing as the defending Eastern Conference champions were dealt a 114-94 loss by the top-seeded Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the teams' quarter-finals series.

Jayson Tatum registered his first career play-off triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Boston, which lost in seven games to Miami in last season's East finals. 

Derrick White added 20 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 18 as Boston never trailed against an eighth-seeded Miami team playing without six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and starting guard Terry Rozier.

Butler is likely out for the series after injuring his right knee during the play-in round, while Rozier has missed the Heat's last seven games with a neck strain.

Boston set the tone right from the start by opening the game on a 17-2 run. Miami later countered with a 9-0 spurt to cut its deficit to 26-23 early in the second quarter, but that was as close as the Heat would get the rest of the day.

The Celtics answered with an 11-2 run to go back ahead by double digits, and their lead swelled to 60-45 at half-time as Tatum scored 10 points in the second quarter and reserve Sam Hauser drained four 3-pointers during the period.

Boston kept pouring it on after the break, as it built a 91-59 advantage after three quarters.

Bam Adebayo led Miami with 24 points, while Delon Wright hit all five of his 3-point attempts in a 17-point effort off the bench.

The series resumes Wednesday in Boston.

 Top-seeded Thunder hold off Pelicans in series opener

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points and converted a tie-breaking three-point play with 32.5 seconds left to play as the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder held on for a 94-92 win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the opener of another Western Conference quarter-final series.

Playing their first post-season game since 2020, the Thunder prevailed despite eighth-seeded New Orleans rallying from a 10-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to tie the contest with under four minutes remaining.

The Pelicans, who were without star forward Zion Williamson due to a left hamstring strain, had a chance to pull out the victory but CJ McCollum missed a 3-point try shortly before the buzzer.

Oklahoma City appeared to have seized control after ending the third quarter on a 9-2 run to take a 74-68 lead entering the fourth. The margin later grew when Chet Holmgren buried a 3-pointer with 10:25 remaining that gave the Thunder an 82-72 advantage.

New Orleans answered with a 9-2 spurt to get back in it and later pulled even when Herb Jones' 3-pointer created an 88-88 tie with 3:58 left.

The game remained deadlocked at 90-90 until Gilgeous-Alexander was fouled while knocking down a short floater with 32.5 seconds on the clock. The NBA MVP finalist made the ensuing free throw for a three-point Oklahoma City edge.

McCollum, who finished with 20 points, hit a jumper on the subsequent possession, and the Thunder gave New Orleans a chance at the lead when Holmgren made just 1 of 2 free throws after being fouled with 14 seconds left.

The Pelicans got the ball to McCollum with time winding down, but the veteran misfired on a contested 30-foot shot as Oklahoma City hung on.

Jalen Williams added 19 points for the Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday, while Holmgren posted 15 points and 11 rebounds.

New Orleans was led by Trey Murphy's 21 points, while Jonas Valanciunas pulled down 20 rebounds to go along with 13 points. 

The Clippers overcame the Denver Nuggets 113-107 in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals.

Paul George top-scored for the Clippers with 32 points as they moved back ahead in the series.

The guard went 12-of-18 from the field and five-of-seven from three-point range at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard posted a double-double of 23 points and 14 rebounds.

The Celtics went 3-2 up against the Toronto Raptors courtesy of a dominant 111-89 victory in Game 5.

Toronto had won back-to-back games, but Jaylen Brown's 27 points led the Celtics to their win.

Tatum's double-double, Jokic heroics not enough

Jayson Tatum recorded a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds in the Celtics' victory.

Boston got an even contribution, with Kemba Walker putting up 21 points on the back of eight-of-15 shooting.

Nikola Jokic was huge for the Nuggets. He had 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but Denver fell to the Clippers.

Michael Porter Jr. managed a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Denver.

Murray battles

Jamal Murray's up-and-down form continued. He was five-of-17 from the field for 14 points in 38 minutes for the Nuggets.

Heat face Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks avoided a shock series sweep against the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference semi-final, but they will need another win on Tuesday to stay alive in a series Miami lead 3-1. The Bucks could be without star Giannis Antetokounmpo (ankle).

George suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will need to rest the injury prior to a re-evaluation in the next three to four weeks.

The Clippers, who made last season's Conference semi-finals, are 17-16 this season having been without two-time NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard all campaign.

George hurt his elbow earlier this month before missing five games, but returned on December 20 against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers lost 103-100 to the Denver Nuggets without George on Sunday.

George suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will need to rest the injury prior to a re-evaluation in the next three to four weeks.

The Clippers, who made last season's Conference semi-finals, are 17-16 this season having been without Kawhi Leonard all campaign.

George hurt his elbow earlier this month before missing five games, but returned on December 20 against the San Antonio Spurs.

The Clippers lost 103-100 to the Denver Nuggets without George on Sunday.

The Clippers announced on Wednesday that George suffered a sprained right knee Tuesday and will be reevaluated in two-to-three weeks.

The regular season ends in two-and-a-half weeks and the eight-time All-Star is expected to miss Los Angeles’ final nine games.

With a 38-35 record, the Clippers enter play on Wednesday in fifth place in the Western Conference, but also just one-and-a-half games out of seventh place, which would put them in the play-in tournament.

They are 6-11 without George this season with losses in five of the last seven games he has missed, which does not include Tuesday’s 101-100 defeat to the seventh-placed Oklahoma City Thunder.

George was injured with 4:38 remaining when his knee collided with Luguentz Dort's knee in the air while attempting a rebound and he crumbled to the floor.

He stayed down on the court for a while until being helped off the court, unable to put weight on his leg.

Prior to Tuesday’s defeat, Los Angeles had won five of six with George leading the charge, averaging 28.3 points – 4.5 higher than his season average.

The 32-year-old is averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 56 games this season and now the Clippers will have to figure out how to win without their leading scorer to get back to the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament last season.

George claimed the Clippers fell victim to some "home-court cooking" following a 110-103 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia.

The six-time All-Star – who was just three of 15 from the field and one of four from three-point range for 11 points – felt the Clippers were up against it in more ways than one, with the visiting side penalised for eight more personal fouls than the 76ers.

And the NBA sanctioned George for his comments on Thursday, the league saying the fine "also reflects his multiple prior violations of the rule prohibiting public criticism of the officiating.''

In his first season with the Clippers since arriving from the Oklahoma City Thunder, George is averaging 22.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Clippers star Leonard has missed five consecutive games due to right foot soreness, sitting out nine of the team's previous 10 games.

But two-time NBA champion Leonard is back in the line-up as the Clippers face the Nuggets on Saturday.

Leonard has been averaging 25.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and a career-high 5.1 assists per game for the Clippers this season.

The two-time Finals MVP and five-time All-Star also boasts a career-high field-goal percentage (51.6) in 2020-21.

Following back-to-back defeats, the Clippers (43-21) are third in the Western Conference, behind the Phoenix Suns (45-18) and Utah Jazz (45-18).

Leonard starred in the Clippers' 134-101 win over the Spurs on Wednesday, scoring 25 points and seven rebounds.

But Leonard – who helped the Spurs to the NBA championship in 2014 – will sit out the second of the back-to-back games with a right foot issue.

"[It is] something that just came up. [We] want to be cautious," Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said pre-game.

Leonard spent seven years in San Antonio, where he made his debut in 2011 before leaving the Spurs for the Toronto Raptors in 2018.

The five-time All-Star won NBA titles with both the Spurs and Raptors prior to joining the Clippers in 2019.

Leonard – a two-time Finals MVP – has been averaging 25.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game for the Clippers this season.

The Clippers (29-16) are third in the Western Conference, behind the NBA-leading Utah Jazz (32-11) and Phoenix Suns (29-14).

The Clippers will begin their Western Conference first-round playoff series against the Mavericks on Monday, and will go in as favourites.

However, they face a dangerous Dallas team that features Luka Doncic and Porzingis, although the latter has been dealing with a heel injury.

Leonard said the Clippers, the second seeds in the west, faced a test against Porzingis – who averaged 20.4 points and 9.5 rebounds during the regular season.

"He's seven [foot]-something, seven-two, seven foot, can shoot the ball, can dribble, make plays out of the post, even from that three-point line by dribble driving," he told reporters.

"You've just got to keep a high hand up and try to challenge his shots. He's very skilled."

The Clippers won five of their eight seeding games at the Walt Disney World Resort as the season resumed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Leonard said it was an opportunity for his team to build chemistry ahead of the playoffs.

"Really just team experience. Being able to play eight games, see what works for us, and going into these playoffs, obviously we're around each other a lot more. That's it," he said.

"Just able to somewhat get a team bond going on and just focusing on these playoffs, taking those eight games one game at a time.

"Our team was different with guys in and out, but that's what it is for me."

Doncic made history by scoring 42 points, the most by a player making his playoff debut, but was unable to prevent his team falling to a 118-110 defeat at the NBA's 'bubble' in Orlando.

Leonard and George were influential for the second-seeded Clippers, the former recording a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds, while the latter chipped in with 27 points.

Both men were keen to stress the talents of their 21-year-old opponent after the game, though.

"I mean, he's great. You know what I mean? He's very poised," Leonard said. "He's very trusted on that team.

"He can get to his spots, find his team-mates, gets them easy baskets. He makes tough baskets well. He's a great player."

George added: "He's the future. We didn't come into this thinking we were going to stop Luka but what we did expect was to make it tough on him.

"That's the thing about this series. These games add up, and we're going to try to continue to wear him down as much as possible."

It was not an entirely perfect night for Doncic, though, who had 11 turnovers to his name – including five in the opening three minutes.

"Terrible," was Doncic's own assessment of his performance. "I had 11 turnovers. I've never had that much. I just want to win."

Doncic was influential in helping the Mavs claw back from an 18-2 deficit early doors and they led 71-66 with 9:10 left in the third quarter when a contentious decision turned the tide.

A foul was called on Doncic for palming the ball and was then grabbed by Marcus Morris in his haste to retrieve the ball.

Team-mate Kristaps Porzingis came rushing over and got into a shoving match with Morris, earning him a second technical foul of the game and leading to his ejection.

"KP had my back. He did it for me. He did it for his team-mate. He had my back," Doncic said.

"Not just me, but the whole team appreciates that. I don't think it was fair to take him out of the game, especially in the playoffs."

Porzingis, though, said he should have kept his emotions in check adding: "I saw him getting into Luka's face and I didn't like that. That's why I reacted.

"That's a smart, smart thing to do from their part. I've just got to be smarter and control my emotions, especially on the first one [technical foul]."

Elsewhere on Monday, Donovan Mitchell racked up 57 points as the Utah Jazz fell 135-125 in overtime to the Denver Nuggets.

That return marked a franchise record and was the third highest ever in a playoff game.

"The biggest thing was just to try to make the right plays," said Mitchell, who was 19 from 33 from the floor and 13 for 13 at the free-throw line.

However, Mitchell took responsibility for giving up an eight-second violation with a rare miscue.

With 1:54 left in the game and the Jazz up by four, Mitchell was unaware the shot clock had started at 22 seconds instead of the normal 24 because Rudy Gobert had blocked Nikola Jokic's shot out of bounds, which brought the play clock down.

Mitchell started walking the ball slowly up court and did not realise he had failed to pass midcourt in time, leading to him being pinged for the infringement.

"That's my fault as a leader and as a point guard at that time," Mitchell said. "That's terrible on my part.

"I kind of put that [on myself] there's really no one else to put it on. I was just taking my time walking it up, and I've got to be more aware.

"I think that was a crucial part of the game. At the end of the day, I'm not going to put it all on that one play, but that was a crucial part."