Dallas Mavericks fall to Clippers in second round of Strat-O-Matic sim

The Dallas Mavericks lost game six and were eliminated from the playoffs by the LA Clippers in the second round of the Strat-O-Matic simulation.

The Dallas Mavericks returned to the playoff mix this season. They had 40 wins and were on pace to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. All things were going according to plan until the novel coronavirus forced the NBA to suspend play. There is no telling when live-action will resume.

Strat-O-Matic decided to step in and run a simulation as if the games went on as scheduled. The Mavs had the seventh-best regular season record in the West. They went on to upset the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. That set up a matchup against the LA Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Clippers won the first two games of the series in Los Angeles. Dallas answered back by taking two straight on their home floor. The Clippers snatched game five in LA setting up a must-win game for the Mavericks in Dallas. That contest took place on Saturday evening. Let us look at the results.

Mavs eliminated on their home floor

The Clippers came out punching. They grabbed a six-point lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. LA clinched the series with a 115-111 victory in Dallas.

Paul George had 20 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Clippers. Kawhi Leonard was their top scorer with 25. Ivica Zubac also dropped 23.

Kristaps Porzingis had a phenomenal game for the Mavericks. He finished with 33 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Luka Doncic struggled with his shot. He was five of 15 from the field despite narrowly missing a triple-double. He finished with 12 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists.

That ends the Dallas Mavericks run in the Strat-O-Matic simulation. Count them in as believers. The Mavs defeated the Nuggets in seven games before taking two off the Clippers. Strat-O-Matic believes Dallas can compete with any team. A fantastic sign for the future of a young squad that is still climbing the latter.