The Clippers tied the Series 2-2 after changing their line-up

Los Angeles Clippers #2 Kawhi Leonard (F) finger-roll basket against the Dallas Mavericks. Photo by Jerry Kelly/T.G.Sportstv1.

LOS ANGELES, CA - The Los Angeles Clippers had to win the contest tonight of the Western Conference Playoffs to keep from going to Dallas being down 0-2 and getting swept in the first round. The Mavs took Game 2 from the Clippers 127-121.

Kawhi Leonard scored 41-points, Paul George added 28-points weren't enough, and the Clippers' defense allowed Luka Doncic to score 39-points, Tim Hardaway Jr. 28-points, and Kristaps Porzingis 20-points.

Dallas Mavericks #77 Luka Doncic (SG/SF) power move to the basket against the Los Angeles Clippers. Photo by Jerry Kelly/T.G.Sportstv1.

The Clippers trail the Mavs 20-13 in the first quarter after Maxi Kleber made a three-point shot. Kawhi Leonard had the Clippers down 26-21 after a made basket that he was fouled on and made his free throw.

Leonard made a jump shot inside the key that made the score 31-27 in favor of the Mavs. Nicolas Batum's three-pointer had the Clippers trailing 31-33.

The Mavs led at the end of the quarter 35-33. Leonard had 18-points for the Clippers and Paul George had 8-points. Keiber led the Mavs in scoring with 12-points and Tim Hardaway Jr. with 10-points.

The Clippers took the lead in the second quarter 41-39 after a jump shot and a free throw by Batum. Luka Doncic tied the game 41-41 with his jump shot. Rajon Rondo driving layup gave the Clippers a 43-41 lead. The Mavs led 52-49 with a three-pointer by Kristaps Porzingis with 7:09 left in the first half. George gave the Clippers the lead 54-53 after being fouled on his layup and made his free throw.

Doncic's layup and foul shot gave the Mavs a 60-56 lead with 4:23 left in the first half. Patrick Beverly made a three-pointer that had the Clippers trailing 63-61. Leonard shot a jump shot inside the key and was foul and made his free throw, had the Clippers down 68-66.

Los Angeles Clippers #13 Paul George (F) three-point shot during the fourth quarter. Photo by Jerry Kelly/TGSportstv1.

Reggie Jackson's dunk tied the game 68-68 with 1:00 left in the first half. Leonard made a three-point shot to give the Clippers a 71-68 lead. Rondo's layup had the Clippers leading 73-71 at halftime. Leonard had 30-points at halftime to lead all scorers, followed by the Mavs Doncic with 23-points.

The Mavs led the Clippers 85-78 in the third quarter when Doncic made a three-point shot, but Jackson's three-pointer had the Clippers down 88-82. The Clippers were down by eleven points 94-83 after a pair of free throws by Hardaway Jr. with 3:30 left in the quarter.

The Clippers were allowing the Mavs to pull away, trailing 98-87. The Mavs led the Clippers at the end of the quarter 101-92. Terance Mann's tip-in basket had the Clippers down by ten points, 109-99, with 8:04 left in the game.

Doncic made a driving layup that gave the Mavs a 116-109 lead. Leonard's three-pointer had the Clippers trailing by six points 120-114 with 1:14 left in the game. The Mavs led by four points,125-121, after Batum made a three-point shot with 12.8 seconds left in the game.

The Mavs won Game 2 127-121 to take a 2-0 lead in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. George knows that the Clippers were favored to win the series.

"I'm pretty sure everyone expected us to win this," George said. "They're playing free and with confidence, and I think we're giving them a little too much confidence. It's up to us to shut that down."

The Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and the Clippers will have to figure things out on how to slow down the Mavs' Doncic, Hardaway Jr., and the other weapons at their disposal and win four games to go to the next round of the NBA Playoffs.

“They got to win four games, and you come in on the opposing team’s floor and you play. There’s no pressure, you can make shots because you just try to come in and steal a game or steal two games. But now they got to go home and try to keep up the same shooting. It’s easy to come out on the road and do that when there’s no pressure on you, so we’ll see in Game 3,” Lue said.

The Clippers (47-25) will play the Mavs (42-30) in Game 3 on Friday in Dallas and Game 4 Sunday. The Clippers must win at least one game in Dallas to force a Game 5 and 6 back in Los Angeles to keep their playoffs season from being crushed and bounced out in the first round.