P.J. Washington. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: P.J. Washington records career-best playoff half for Mavericks

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated May 9, 2024 11:10 PM ET

Needing someone to step up after dropping Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks got a massive first half from P.J. Washington in Game 2.

By halftime, the fifth-year pro had already posted a playoff career-high, recording 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Washington lit it up from beyond the arc, hitting 5-of-8 three-point attempts.

A playoff career high 19 PTS and 5 3PM in the first 15 minutes of Game 2 for P.J. Washington!

Mavs-Thunder | Game 2 on ESPN pic.twitter.com/zt0QOedOyh
— NBA (@NBA) May 10, 2024

Acquired at the trade deadline from the Charlotte Hornets, Washington has averaged 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds over 34 minutes per game during the postseason. However, his big Game 2 could go a long way toward helping the Mavericks get back into the series. They're down 0-1 after dropping Game 1, 117-95.

Likewise, a bounce-back game from Luka Doncic, who had 18 points at halftime on 4-of-6 shooting from deep, has also improved the Mavericks' fortunes. But there is more work to do.

Dallas didn't trail in the first half Thursday but saw a 14-point lead dwindle to only six, 68-62, at the break.

Mike Santa Barbara

Mike Santa Barbara is a Wilmington, Delaware native (Yes, it's a real place) with over a decade of sports writing experience. A diehard Philadelphia sports fan, he has two dogs named after Flyers and cried real tears when the Eagles won Super Bowl LII. You can follow him on Twitter at @mike__sb

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