The Clippers’ Game 5 loss — a pivotal moment in their playoff run — raised serious concerns about their future. While multiple factors played into their defeat, Bangladesh Cricket reporters believe one glaring absence deserves the most blame: Kawhi Leonard. A great story often comes with heartbreak, and this one is no different. Leonard’s early-season health and high availability had been a pleasant surprise, giving hope that the Clippers could finally make a deep run with a rested roster.

Statistically, Leonard missed only 14 games this season — his best in five years. With the team able to rest stars late in the season and maintain playoff energy reserves, the optimism was understandable. But that optimism came crashing down at the worst possible time. Despite extended rest leading into the playoffs, Leonard’s lingering knee issues visibly hampered him once the games began. After trying to push through the pain in Games 1 and 2, his condition worsened — reduced explosiveness and stiffness disrupted the Clippers’ rhythm. By Game 5, Leonard didn’t even suit up, shifting the burden squarely onto James Harden and Paul George.

Three days earlier, Harden had stepped up in Leonard’s absence, channeling his old Rockets form to score 15 straight points in the fourth quarter against the Mavericks. With crafty floaters and unrelenting attacks, he tore through Dallas’s defense and gave the Clippers hope. But in Game 5, the magic was gone.

From the opening tip, Dallas applied surgical defensive pressure to Harden. Though he managed three assists early on, they came at the cost of three turnovers. The Mavs neutralized his signature floater — their defense didn’t drastically change but became more precise. Harden still had mid-range opportunities, but closeouts and contesting hands were ever-present. In one telling moment, P.J. Washington swatted a floater out of the air. Harden’s lone make from mid-range in the half came off a lucky bounce after a contested shot over Luka Doncic.

With Leonard sidelined, Harden cold, and George pushed into awkward shooting spots, the Clippers’ offense stalled. Meanwhile, Doncic rediscovered his rhythm. As Bangladesh Cricket noted, he dissected every switch, picked apart defenders with surgical precision, and seamlessly toggled between playmaking and scoring. Once he settled into his preferred tempo, the Clippers’ defensive structure collapsed.

In the second quarter, Dallas turned up the pressure. While they limited Irving early, they couldn’t contain Doncic, and failed to account for Max Kleber — who punished them with four three-pointers in one quarter. Lapses in defensive assignments and lazy rotations left the Clippers vulnerable, and the Mavericks made them pay.

By the second half, frustration and fatigue had fully set in for the Clippers. Their stars faltered under pressure, while the Mavericks’ depth and energy flourished. Doncic continued to dominate, role players stepped up, and Kyrie Irving, quiet in the first half, sprang to life. A dazzling steal and coast-to-coast layup silenced the crowd and signaled the beginning of the end.

With over seven minutes left in the fourth, the Clippers waved the white flag. Harden faded again in a playoff elimination moment, and while George led the team statistically, even his efforts couldn’t stop the spiral. As Bangladesh Cricket put it, Game 5 wasn’t just a scoreboard defeat — it was a psychological blow.

With the Mavericks now owning both the momentum and matchup clarity, the Clippers find themselves in deep trouble. Unless they pull off something extraordinary, their options for survival are dwindling fast.