3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' dominant closeout win over Clippers

Heading into Friday night, the Dallas Mavericks held a 3-2 series lead over the LA Clippers after their dominant 30-point win on Wednesday night.

The vibes were immaculate in Dallas as the Mavs had the chance to reach the second round of the NBA Playoffs for just the second time since they won the NBA Finals in 2011.

Derrick Jones Jr. and Maxi Kleber both stepped up in the Game 5 win, and Dallas' role players stepped up once again on Friday night as they helped Dallas grab a 114-101 win to move on to the second round.

3 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' dominant closeout win over Clippers

The American Airlines Center was rocking all night long, and fans were ecstatic to see the Mavs take down the Clippers on their home floor.

Dallas needed revenge for their back-to-back playoff losses to the Clippers in 2020 and 2021, and that's exactly what they got on Friday night.

Here are three studs and two duds from Dallas' big win over the Clippers.

5. Stud - P.J. Washington

In Game 5, P.J. Washington struggled to get going offensively. He finished with just two points while shooting 1-7 from the field and 0-4 from downtown. Nothing was going his way and his shooting struggles continued.

Game 6 on Friday was a completely different story as Washington finished with 14 points while shooting 4-9 from the field and 4-8 from downtown. He got going early, and his hot shooting start and stellar defense on the other end helped lead Dallas to this win.

Outside of his hot 3-point shooting, Washington was attacking the bucket and getting to the free-throw line. Washington's energy on both ends of the floor is contagious, and he picked the perfect game to go off.

Washington was a massive X-factor heading into this series, and without him, the Mavs may not have won Game 6. Dallas' hot start that was fueled by Luka Doncic and Washington was wiped away as the game was tied 52-52 at halftime, but Washington's performance on both ends in the second half helped them pull away and grab the win.

He truly helped change the Mavs for the better when they traded for him, and he is extremely excited for the challenge ahead of them.