The Dallas Mavericks and the LA Clippers will meet in a playoff series for the second year in a row. Last year in the NBA bubble, the Clippers eliminated Dallas in the first round. Will the Mavs get back at LA and win Game 1 this time around? Or will the Clippers draw first blood? Check out our preview of this game below.
The Mavericks finished the regular season on a sour note, as they lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road last Sunday, 136-121. Nevertheless, the Mavs are 6-2 straight up in their last eight games, with wins against the likes of the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets during that stretch. The Mavericks are clearly expected to be led by the tandem of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Doncic finished the regular season with an average of 27.7 points per game on 47.9 percent shooting from the field, while Porzingis had 20.1 per contest on 47.6 field goal shooting percentage. The Mavericks beat the Clippers twice in the regular season. In three meetings with the Clippers, Doncic scored an average of 30.3 points to go along with 11.0 assists and 8.3 rebounds.
The over is 5-0 in the Mavs’ last five games overall.
The Clippers enter the postseason on the heels of back-to-back losses to the Houston Rockets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those losses, however, shouldn’t define the Clippers, as they are well-known to be one of the top contenders for the NBA title this season, plus they opted to rest their stats in those games against lottery-bound squads. Speaking of which, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard should be ready to go at it in Game 1 against Dallas. Leonard led the team in the regular season with 24.8 points per game, while George is right behind with 23.3 points per contest. The Clippers will also have a healthy Serge Ibaka for the playoffs, as the center has played in the lat two LA games after a long absence due to injury. His presence in the middle alongside Ivica Zubac gives the Clippers a sturdy figure who can take care of business in the shaded area and on the glass.
The under is 5-1 in the Clippers’ last six home games.
