Great news hoops fans! You are in for a treat later tonight as the National Basketball Association has set up a pair of important Western Conference clashes that will definitely whet your sporting appetite. First off, the Los Angeles Clippers look to end their slump when they take on the soaring Dallas Mavericks.
Later on, the Oklahoma City Thunder square off with the struggling Denver Nuggets in a showdown at Pepsi Center. Read on below as we breakdown these two critical ballgames and while you’re at it you can check out our piece on where to watch the upcoming Slam Dunk contest as the NBA All-Star Weekend draws ever closer.
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Los Angeles Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks (8:30 PM ET)
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Los Angeles Clippers’ losing woes show no sign of abating as they suffered their fourth consecutive defeat Sunday with a humiliating 131-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chris Paul top-scored for the Clippers with 18 points but his efforts were not enough to stop an Oklahoma City attack that saw six of its players score in double-figures.
The Clippers will look to cap off their disastrous eight-game road trip with a win, however, when they take on the Dallas Mavericks later tonight. It won’t get any easier for Doc Rivers’ men as the Mavericks are one of the hottest teams in the league today, having won five of their last six games.
The Mavericks are coming off a morale-boosting win over the Portland Trail Blazers where they came back from 11 points down in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime and eventually grab a 111-101 victory.
The Clippers are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
Writer’s Prediction
Dallas wins, 101-86.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets (9:00 PM ET)
Oklahoma City returned to winning ways with a resounding 23-point win over the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led the way for the Thunder as they combined for 48 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists to key the emphatic rout.
They will fancy their chances of grabbing back-to-back wins when they take on the slumping Denver Nuggets later tonight. The Nuggets continued their downward spiral Friday with an embarrassing 98-88 loss to the Detroit Pistons. That setback was Denver’s 12th defeat in their last 13 games.
The Nuggets are 4-1 in their last five meetings with the Thunder at Pepsi Center.
