The Los Angeles Clippers secured a 126-111 win in a decisive Game 7 against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center.
By doing so, they avoided, at least for now, a second consecutive short postseason run for stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
The Clippers will face the top-seeded Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals beginning on Tuesday.
Less than a year ago, the Clippers had squandered a 3-1 second-round series lead to the Denver Nuggets.
The home team won a game for the first time in the first-round series.
Once again, Mavericks star Luka Doncic showed his brilliance with dramatic shots, a strong pain threshold and the ability to carry his team on almost every possession. Though Doncic finished with 46 points while shooting 17-for-30 from the field and 5-for-11 from 3-point range, the Clippers counteracted that with depth. Along with Leonard (28 points) and George (22), the Clippers received contributions from Marcus Morris Sr. (23), Reggie Jackson (15), Terance Mann (13), Nicolas Batum (11) and Luke Kennard (11).
