Clippers can’t keep pace in second half and get eliminated by Mavericks

Clippers guard James Harden, right, drives against Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first half of Game 6. DALLAS —

At 10:51 p.m. Central time, the Clippers could see their season slipping away. They were down by 20 points when coach Tyronn Lue called a timeout with 9:24 left in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks.

He grabbed his clipboard to draw up a play with his coaching staff gathered around him and his players looking weary from the onslaught from the Mavericks and their point guard Kyrie Irving, who had 28 of his 30 points in the second half.

The Clippers had played the Mavericks to a standstill through the halfway point of the game, but…