Tuesday posed a big night for the Los Angeles Clippers, not only because they claimed a big win (154-111) in Game 5 of the series against the Dallas Mavericks, but also for the remarkable performance of Paul George, who had been struggling in the previous games.

Having gone 12-18 in field goals, 4-8 in 3-pointers and 7-7 in free throws, George dropped court-high 35 points in 24 minutes and shared the best PER of 26 with his teammate Kawhi Leonard. By the way, Leonard scored 32 points by going 7-9 in the paint.

Before Game 5, George could only get 15.3 points at a field goal rate of 29 percent per game. Some of the "highlights" of Game 4, including Luka Doncic stealing his ball for an easy basket and Seth Curry scoring in his face, all simply magnified his embarrassment.

Fortunately for George, his teammates and coach still trusted him. When asked about his underperformance, coach Doc Rivers said he told George to shoot more and when he reached 20 attempts, he would make them.

"I underestimated mental health, honestly. I had anxiety. A little bit of depression. Just being locked in here. I just wasn't there. I checked out. For Games 2, 3, 4, I wasn't there. I felt like I wasn't there. Shout-out to the people that were in my corner, that gave me words. They helped big time, helped get me right, [get] me back in great spirits. I can't thank them enough," said George.

"I mean, I felt it just [at] the start (on Tuesday). Talks with a psychiatrist, our team psychiatrist. I mean, I just felt it. My energy, my spirit was changed. That's all it needed. That's all I needed. I came here, I knew what my job was. Left it all on that court. Ready to move forward."

When George and Leonard could attack like they did on Tuesday, Dallas could only place their hopes on their own offense. Nonetheless, Kristaps Porzingis again sat on Tuesday's game, leaving Doncic to carry all the burden. The 21-year-old did not carry his magic from Game 4 and only had 22 points, eight rebounds and four assists. The Clippers kept shifting between trapping and switching in defending Doncic. Though Doncic managed to create 14 free throws with his penetration, before he developed reliable jump shooting, the defense remained effective on him.

Utah Jazz 107-117 Denver Nuggets

Jamal Murray dragged Denver one step back from the edge of the cliff with 42 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in Game 5. Such outstanding performance brought a record night for Murray. He became the first player since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1983 to get 40+8+8 without committing even one turnover. Murray also set a new record for points scored in two straight playoff games in Denver's franchise history, replacing Carmelo Anthony's 74 with 92. Moreover, he was also the third player since 1965 to get 40+8+8 before turning 24 years old. The other two were Tracy McGrady and Doncic.

"The young man is growing up and turning into a superstar on the biggest stage. And couldn't be more proud of him. Jamal embraces the moment. He's not afraid of it. Some people run away from those moments. He looks for them. And without Jamal Murray's play, and not even just the points, but his attitude, that swagger, that confidence. That is contagious to all of our other players," said Mike Malone, head coach of Denver.

If the losses in Game 3 and Game 4 teach Denver any lesson, it must be that the team can not beat Utah via defense. Attack, shoot and score make Denver's only solution in the rest of the series. Nikola Jokic fired first as he was 8-8, including 5-5 from the arc, to score 21 points in the first quarter.

However, despite that, Denver only led 33-32 after Q1. When Jokic had to rest and Mason Plumlee took his place on the court, the team's offense was immediately out of order. Meanwhile, Utah continued to cause trouble with their corner threes and assault against the rim, regaining the lead after Q2 (31-21).

Murray's explosion happened in the second half in which he got 33 points. He continued to challenge Rudy Gobert under the rim and went 9-11 in the paint to get 18 points. Murray's Per of 39 was way higher than the second-highest one of 24, which came from his teammate Jokic.

Denver will need Murray and Jokic to remain hot if they want to extend this series to Game 7.