The Scoop: Harden was a non-factor in the loss, a far cry from what he has been able to deliver thus far in the series. Both he and Paul George decided to take the night off, much to the joy of Mavericks fans. They are now one loss away from elimination, a result that would leave the future of the current squad in some doubt. If they are to force a Game 7, Harden is going to need to rediscover his early-series form.

 The Scoop: Brown logged six minutes in the loss, a rare appearance and one that should not be happening at this time of the year. The Clippers were blown out by the Mavericks in front of their home fans, now on the brink of elimination.

 The Scoop: Lively was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, outplaying Daniel Gafford despite coming off the bench. The Mavericks have the luxury of being able to lean on both players equally, providing them flexibility when one is outplaying the other. Lively and Gafford will once again be front and center when the two teams line up again Friday.

 The Scoop: Kleber connected on five three-pointers, helping guide the Mavericks to a comfortable victory. After coming up short in front of their home fans, Dallas was able to make easy work of the Clippers in Los Angeles. The two teams will face off again Friday, where the Mavericks will look to atone for the Game 4 loss.

 The Scoop: Wright was elbowed in the chin as Jaylen Brown went up for a shot and ended up going back to the locker room after the play. He'll have stitches put on the inside of his lower lip/chin then will return to the contest.Patty Mills and Duncan Robinson should see more minutes while he's absent.

 The Scoop: Horford played 34 minutes in Game 4 with Kristaps Porzingis (calf) going down with an injury in the first half. With Porzingis sidelined Wednesday -- and likely longer -- Horford will step into the starting center role, where he's expected to remain until Porzingis returns.

 The Scoop: Wright will enter the first unit in place of Jaime Jacquez (hip) for just his second start of the season. The guard has been a sizeable part of the rotation throughout the series, averaging 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 25.0 minutes per game and should see an even larger workload Wednesday.

 The Scoop: Beverley is dealing with an oblique issue once again, but he played through the issue in Tuesday's Game 5 and tallied 13 points, 12 assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block in 36 minutes. Damian Lillard (Achilles) is doubtful for Thursday's matchup, so if Beverley is available, he'll likely have plenty of chances to contribute.

 The Scoop: Middleton sprained his right ankle in Game 2 but continues to play through the pain and will likely do so again Thursday. Over the last three matchups, Middleton has carried the Bucks, averaging 32.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 40.3 minutes per game. With Damian Lillard (calf) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) both doubtful, Middleton should be in store for a hefty workload during Game 6.

 The Scoop: Lillard is listed as doubtful for a third straight matchup after aggravating a right Achilles injury during Game 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is also doubtful, so Bobby Portis and Malik Beasley should remain in the starting lineup. The Bucks had a valiant effort in Game 5 at home to extend the series, led by Portis and Khris Middleton (ankle), but they still need to win back-to-back games to advance to the second round.