Luka Doncic has scored 20 of his 35 points in the second half and added 10 assists and seven rebounds to propel Dallas to a 123-93 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5 of their first-round series.
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Maxi Kleber's 15 points included five from three-point range and Kyrie Irving added 14 points for the Mavericks, who clamped down on the Clippers defensively on Thursday (AEST) and won decisively in LA for the second time in the series.
Dallas are now up 3-2 and on the brink of their first playoff series victory since 2022, and only a third since winning the NBA title in 2011.
Doncic is playing on a sprained right knee that limited him at times in the series, but the Slovenian superstar clearly got more comfortable and more dangerous as the contest went on.
He had 14 points in the third quarter while the Mavs stretched their lead to 25 and eventually took an 89-69 advantage into the fourth, where the home side never threatened to do an imitation of Dallas' rally back from a 31-point deficit in Game 4.
Boomers teammates Dante Exum and Josh Green combined for eight points, three rebounds and four assists, with Green draining a crucial three in a fourth-quarter four-point play for the Mavericks.
Earlier, Boston exacted some revenge against Miami after the Heat embarrassed them in a Game 7 showdown at TD Garden one year ago.
This time, the Celtics returned the favour.
Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points and the hosts advanced to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, beating a short-handed Miami 118-84 in Game 5 for a 4-1 first-round series win.
Boston will face the winner of the Cleveland-Orlando series, which the Cavaliers lead 3-2.
Bam Adebayo top-scored for the Heat with 23 points, while Australia's Patty Mills had two points and one assist in his 17-and-a-half minutes of action.
With AAP.
Australian Associated Press
