3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' blowout Game 5 win over Clippers

Going into Wednesday night's game against the LA Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks were tied 2-2 with the LA Clippers after a Game 4 loss at the American Airlines Center on Sunday afternoon.

Dallas battled all the way back from being down by 31 points in Game 4, but their comeback fell short as James Harden couldn't be stopped in the clutch. Jason Kidd doubled down on his plan to give Harden the twos but not the threes, and this game plan ended up working out for them.

Dallas beat the Clippers 123-93 in LA on Wednesday, putting them in the driver's seat to go win this series.

3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' blowout Game 5 win over Clippers

Dallas has plenty of momentum heading into Game 6 at home on Saturday, and several key Mavericks stepped up when they needed to most.

Losing tonight would have put tons of pressure on Dallas heading into Friday night's game, and closing this series out on Friday would give Luka Doncic some desperately needed rest due to his injured knee and his ongoing illness through this series.

Game 5 showed Dallas' ability to battle adversity, and there is tons of excitement building around this team.

Here are three studs and two duds from the Dallas Mavericks' crucial Game 5 win over the LA Clippers.

5. Stud - Luka Doncic

Heading into last night's game, Luka Doncic was struggling in this series according to his standards. He wasn't shooting the ball well, had some poor defense in Game 4, and clearly wasn't himself as he has been battling illness and has been injured.

In Game 5, Doncic got back on track as he finished with 35 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists while shooting 14-26 from the field and 2-8 from downtown. He isn't shooting as well as he was during the regular season, but it can't be expected for him to be an elite shooter with his knee injury.

He isn't going to his step-back three as much as he was during the regular season, but everyone stepping up around him was huge in this win. Doncic was locked in during the second half of this game, and his ability to get to the rim was a positive sign in this game as he shied away from that in the past few games.

Another Doncic masterclass could be exactly what the Mavs need to send the Clippers home on Friday.

4. Dud - Russell Westbrook

LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook became the villain of this series when he had a dirty foul against Luka Doncic in Game 3, and his play has been bad for most of this entire series.

On Wednesday night, Westbrook finished with six points and his play continues to hurt the Clippers offensively. Outside of Game 1, Westbrook has not been great, and Mavs fans are loving it. He isn't the player that he once was and the Mavericks are daring him to shoot.

Westbrook has gotten countless open looks from downtown in this series, and the Mavs are giving him all the space in the world to let it fly rather than closing out and making life hard on him. This can be a dangerous game when letting someone shoot, but it has paid off for Dallas in this series.

Forcing anyone but James Harden and Paul George to beat Dallas is a great plan, and the Mavs will live with him shooting this much.

Getting under Westbrook's skin and letting him shoot should be two key points in Game 6, and another poor Westbrook game could push the Mavericks into the second round. When Westbrook is playing well and playing with energy, he can completely change a game for the Clippers.

Having him negatively impact the game by chucking shots has been the case though in this series, and the Mavs need to neutralize his impact as much as possible.

3. Stud - Maxi Kleber

Dallas Mavericks forward Maxi Kleber was someone who got bashed a lot after Game 4 due to James Harden exposing the Mavs in the fourth quarter while Kleber was playing center, but he didn't deserve all the blame.

If Kleber stepped up on Harden's floaters, he would have dumped it off to the cutting big every time, and although he could have done better, the Harden outburst was more on Jason Kidd and the Dallas defenders than Kleber.

Kleber silenced all the haters in Game 5 as he hit four threes in the first half and was shooting with confidence consistently. Kleber's game is heavily based on confidence, and the Mavs desperately needed someone to step up as a shooter.

Kleber was that and more in Game 5, and he has consistently stepped up as a shooter in the playoffs for Dallas dating back to the 2022 Playoffs. He also stepped up as a defender in this game and he is the best perimeter defender of all of Dallas' bigs, and they'll need him to continue to be a difference-maker on both ends for the Mavs to close out this series on Friday.

Kleber was a huge X-factor heading into these playoffs and the Mavs are tough to beat when he's at his best. It shouldn't be expected for him to shoot like this every game, but his efficiency has been huge thus far.

2. Dud - P.J. Washington

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington continues to be one of the best defenders for the Mavs in this series, but his offensive struggles continued into Game 5. Washington finished with two points while shooting 1-7 from the field, 0-4 from three, and he missed both of his free throws.

Washington doesn't seem to have the same confidence he had at one point from downtown, and despite getting good looks, he hasn't been able to cash them in. He is a huge X-factor for this team and has stepped up several times in this series when the Mavs have needed him. but it's clear they still need a little bit more from him.

Heading into Game 6, Washington's huge defensive assignment of guarding Paul George and James Harden will continue. His defense has been superb ever since the Mavs traded for him, and his physicality, tenacity, and team-first attitude have made him the perfect fit in Dallas.

The Mavs have been a completely different team ever since they traded for Daniel Gafford and Washington, and Washington has been a huge upgrade over Grant Williams. While Washington hasn't been able to shoot as well as Williams did, Washington has been much better than him on defense.

Washington's struggles offensively are a bit concerning, but his defense more than makes up for it.

1. Stud - Derrick Jones Jr.

In back-to-back games, Derrick Jones Jr. has been huge for the Dallas Mavericks and he finished with 12 points in Game 5. Jones Jr. got going early as he had a dunk in transition and an open three, and his impact on both ends has been something the Mavs have desperately needed.

Defensively, Jones Jr. has spent time guarding both Paul George and James Harden, and he has taken on both of these matchups with toughness and confidence. Jones Jr. shies away from no one on defense, and he showed no fear when asked about guarding any of the Clippers stars.

He takes the same mindset into every defense matchup he has, and he is always focused on the matchup in front of him. His demeanor and focus on that end are amazing, and he has embraced every challenge that Jason Kidd has thrown his way.

He is the definition of a great teammate, and the Mavs will need him to be elite in Game 6 to slow down Harden and George once again. Offensively, Jones Jr. continues to be a reliable shooter and has been a strong driver and finisher.

Jones Jr.'s finishing has been excellent in this series, and his dunks provide tons of momentum and energy for the Mavs, and he has been great ever since Kidd inserted him into the starting lineup in place of Josh Green.

For all the latest on Derrick Jones Jr. and the Dallas Mavericks throughout their 2024 NBA Playoff run, stay tuned.