The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 on Sunday night, but it was no easy feat. Luka Doncic had his third 40-point game of the series, doing everything he could to keep Dallas in it. In the end, it was Kawhi Leonard and Paul George's team who hit the biggest shots, made the right passes, and grabbed the extra rebounds to secure the victory.

Doncic averaged 35.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 10.3 assists across the seven-game series on 49.0 percent shooting from the field, 40.8 percent from 3, and 52.9 percent from the foul line. It was truly a fantastic series on Luka's part (outside of that free-throw shooting), but he simply didn't get enough from Kristaps Porzingis and the Mavs' other role players.

After Game 7, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard had nothing but high praise for the third-year phenom.

“Oh, man, you know, he did everything,” Leonard said of Luka Doncic. “I don't know how many 40-point games he had, I believe three. He's shooting it very efficiently from 3 for sure off-the-dribble shots. You know, just doing it all for his team. You know he's a great player and you'll see him for many years to come. He plays at his own pace and he makes it look easy out there.”

The Clippers' other star, Paul George, attempted to swap jerseys with Doncic immediately following the final buzzer. Doncic declined, electing to complete the jersey swap in the back by the locker rooms.

“He was the star last matchup, too,” Paul George added. “He played off the charts last year in a playoff. And to be honest, you don't get to age like that — you knew he could get better, you knew there was room for improvement, of course, but it was even more awesome. He just plays with so much confidence, and his game is just so beyond his age. He pretty much can pick up and read almost any defense. We threw a lot at him, and he was still able to, you know, keep his team afloat and just improvise.

“He's going to be great. He's got a big, huge future ahead of him. But, you know, I think just the mindset of having to sit down and guard, help, rotate came into play again this series and it's definitely what we are going to have to do going into the next one.”

Luka Doncic and the Mavs' future are both very bright. A legitimate second star on the team who can command nearly as much attention on Doncic will open up the Mavs' offense. Until then, Dallas will have a hard time facing off against Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the Clippers out West.