Paul George, James Harden help Clippers even series with Mavs at 2-2 after blowing 31-point lead

DALLAS (AP) — Paul George and James Harden are two-for-two without Kawhi Leonard in the Los Angeles Clippers' first-round playoff series against Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks.

The healthy LA stars can afford to shrug over the blown 31-point lead in Game 4.

George and Harden each scored 33 points while playing key fourth-quarter roles to help the Clippers hold off a huge rally fueled mostly by Irving for a 116-111 victory Sunday to even the first-round series at 2-2.

“We knew they would make a run,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. “But also, we didn’t think we’d come into this building and be up 31 points either. So I told our team, just get the win, however you've got to get it. In the playoffs, it don’t matter how you win.”

Leonard was out with right knee inflammation again after missing the series opener, then playing in both Dallas victories. The Clippers aren't sure he'll make it back for the third Western Conference first-round meeting between these teams in the past five seasons.

The teams have split a pair on each other’s home court. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

Irving scored 40 points for Dallas, including an acrobatic layup with 2:15 remaining for a 105-104 lead that was the first for the Mavericks since the middle of the first quarter.

Doncic had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in his fourth career playoff triple-double — all against the Clippers — while clearly struggling with right knee soreness that had him questionable until he warmed up before the game.

“It’s hurting, obviously,” said Doncic, who was 1 of 9 from 3-point range and not as effective on defense, a strength for him in this series. “But it shouldn’t be an excuse. Just came out sloppy. We’ve got to be way better than that.”

George scored 26 points in the first half, when the Clippers' lead reached 55-24 on a 3-pointer by Harden. The high-scoring stars combined to go 11 of 15 from long range as LA finished 18 of 29 overall.

After Irving's go-ahead layup, George hit his first basket of the second half, a fadeaway 3 from the corner. Irving missed a layup, and Harden converted a three-point play for a 110-105 lead. The 10-time All-Star scored 15 points in the fourth, hitting five of his well-known floaters that were mostly absent in the first three games.

This is part of why the Clippers added Harden in an early-season trade, giving them another option with a star such as Leonard sidelined.

“I’m blessed to be able to change it up and be a facilitator or a scorer,” Harden said. “My mindset coming to this team was doing whatever it takes to win and get to the end goal. Whether that's scoring or facilitating, I think it goes possession by possession and game by game.”

The Clippers tied a franchise playoff record for a quarter with eight 3s in the first, and George had three of them while scoring his playoff first-quarter high with 16 points to match the Mavericks and help build a 39-16 lead.

Harden’s 3 for the 31-point lead midway through the second quarter came not long after Doncic was called for a technical foul coming down the court when his miss dropped Dallas to 0-11 from long range..

It was almost a replay of Game 1, when the Leonard-less Clippers led by 26 at halftime and 29 early in the third quarter. Minus the massive rally, although Dallas did whittle the deficit in the second half of the opener.

“This is like Game 1,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “Early game, for whatever reason we just haven’t played well. We’ve gotten off to slow starts. That’s just something that we’ve got to talk about as a team. If there’s another afternoon game, we’ve got to make sure we’re ready to go from the jump and we can’t wait.”

Irving hit the next two 3s for Dallas, and the rally was on. He scored 16 in the second quarter and kept it going in the third, finishing those two quarters with 26 after a scoreless first. Dallas trailed by four entering the fourth quarter.

“We dug ourselves in a hole,” Irving said. “There's no time to complain about it or look to each other for any excuses. It was just time to get it going. Fell short, but this is a consistent thing in this series so far where Kawhi doesn't play and we're just dealing with a barrage of James Harden and Paul George getting off.”

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Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, left, argues a call with a referee, right, during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) steps back in front of Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, left, during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) follows through on a 3-point basket as Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) looks on during the second half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden looks to pass as Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving defends during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann (14) drives to the basket past Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington , left, and center Dereck Lively II (2) during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13), guard Terance Mann (14) and guard Norman Powell (24) celebrate after a basket during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum, front left, shoots over Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook, right, during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) drives past Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green, front right, during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George (13) shoots a 3-point basket during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic reacts after a call during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington dunks the ball as Los Angeles Clippers center Mason Plumlee (44), Mavericks' center Daniel Gafford (21) and Clippers' guard James Harden look on during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George gestures to the crowd after shooting a 3-point basket during the first half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, Sunday, April 28, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires has prompted health warnings across the Upper Midwest and Montana for the second year in a row.

Fires raging in British Columbia and Alberta have filled the skies with haze over parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Sunday, lingering into Monday morning.

Unhealthy air pollution levels mean everyone in Minnesota should stay indoors and avoid heavy exertion outdoors, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said in its first statewide air quality alert of the season Sunday. Scheduled to end at noon Monday, the advisory was extended until 11 p.m. for southern Minnesota including the Twin Cities metro area.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said the air quality was unhealthy for sensitive people in multiple counties across the state's northern two-thirds on Sunday. Set to end at noon Monday, the advisories were kept in place until midnight.

Michigan's Upper Peninsula was also under hazy skies Monday. Some people reported the smell of smoke, said Joe Phillips, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Marquette, Michigan.

Prevailing winds could send the smoke south and east as far as Iowa and Chicago, leaving skies looking milky by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, said Rafal Ogorek, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s Chicago office. Most of the smoke was expected to linger over Minnesota, Wisconsin and northern Michigan, hanging between a mile (1.6 kilometers) and 2 miles (3 kilometers) above the ground.

A record number of wildfires in 2023 forced more than 235,000 people across Canada to evacuate and sent thick smoke into parts of the U.S., prompting hazy skies and health advisories in multiple U.S. cities.

There were 200 fires burning in Canada by mid-May last year, compared with 90 fires as of this Sunday, said Dave Phillips, senior climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, a government environmental protection agency. A fire raging near Fort Nelson in British Columbia’s far northeastern corner has forced evacuations.

The chances of more wildfires this summer appear high. Lightning strikes could trigger fires that quickly spread in forests suffering intense drought in northeastern British Columbia, northwestern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories, according the Canadian National Wildland Fire Situation report.

An analysis by World Weather Attribution, an initiative that aims to quickly evaluate the role of climate change in the aftermath of extreme weather events, found climate change more than doubled the chances of hot, dry weather that helped fuel the fire season.

Loretta Mickley, co-leader of Harvard University's Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group, said her group did papers in 2013 and 2015 looking at fire activity and ecosystems with an eye toward the future. She said increasing fire activity is consistent with a warming climate.

Drought conditions look to be less severe in Ontario and Quebec in the coming months, but temperatures are expected to be higher than normal, and it's difficult to predict if the moisture will cancel out the heat, she said.

“What will happen this summer? It depends on what the meteorology is like today and what happened over the winter,” she said. “In some regions a lot of rain in winter led to abundant vegetation. If that is followed by dryness or a drought then all that vegetation is ready to be burnt up and provide fuel to the fires.”

If Canada does see a repeat of last year's fire season, it's far from clear if the U.S. will get haze on the scale of 2023. Fires in Quebec and Ontario produced most of the smoke that enveloped The Eastern U.S. — but those regions rarely see such large fires. Instead of pushing the smoke west, the wind drove it south, covering the eastern quarter of the U.S. from the Mississippi River Valley to Manhattan with haze.

“It was an unfortunate, odd kind of weather pattern where you had winds encouraging that air to come south and then east,” said Phillips, of the Canadian environmental protection agency. “And it was just a shock to meteorologists, to the world and to everyone who had to endure it ... I think it will be a fraction of a concern as it was last year.”

Associated Press writers Rick Callahan in Indianapolis, Rob Gillies in Toronto and Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report.

Wildfire smoke hangs over the Minneapolis skyline on Monday, May 13, 2024. Winds pushed a band of heavy smoke south from fires burning in British Columbia, Canada, prompting officials in Minnesota to issue an air quality alert. (AP Photo:/Mark Vancleave)

The sunset is seen through a layer of wildfire smoke over Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis on Sunday, May 12, 2024. (Ben Hovland/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

This photo provided by the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship shows a wildfire, Aurora Borealis overhead, near Fort Nelson, British Columbia Saturday, May 11, 2024. An intense wildfire could hit a town in western Canada on Monday, based on forecasts of strong winds that have been fueling the out-of-control blaze which has already forced the evacuation of thousands, fire experts and officials warned. (Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship/The Canadian Press via AP)