The winner of Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round series Wednesday night was going to be one step away from advancing. The loser of Game 5 of this best-of-seven series was going to be one step away from elimination.
The Clippers are close to seeing their season come to an end following a humbling 123-93 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.
A severe third-quarter drought put the Clippers in a 25-point hole and their season edged toward the brink in the process. When that hole got deeper with a 32-point deficit in the fourth, the Clippers were on their way to trailing the series 3-2.