The Dallas Mavericks couldn’t have started their season better than a 111-95 win on the road against the Phoenix Suns. They were firing lights out in a game which featured plenty of players contributing on offense. The Mavs have a pretty tough matchup next though. They face one of the Western Conference’s powerhouse teams in the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Clippers almost blew a big lead over the Sacramento Kings in their season opener, but still rallied for a dominant victory in crunch time. Which team continues to impress this early into the season? Read on as we break down this Western clash.
Eight players scored in double-figures on Wednesday night. Raymond Felton scored 18 to lead all Dallas Mavericks scorers. Dirk Nowitzki, playing in his 17th NBA season, scored 11 points. Center Zaza Pachulia shined in his debut as a Maverick with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Mavs’ scoring galore could continue against a pretty spotty Los Angeles defense. The Clippers allowed four double-digit scorers and 104 total points last night against the Sacramento Kings. Nowitzki should remain hot against his Western Conference rivals; he averaged 19 points per game in three games against the Clippers last season.
Dallas may take a hit to its roster though as point guard Deron Williams suffered a bruised knee in last night’s victory against Phoenix. Should he play, Williams may struggle to keep up with the Clippers’ Chris Paul. His playmaking may also be missed as he had a team-high seven assists last night. Felton is a competent playmaker himself with six assists against Phoenix. Should Williams sit out of this game, expect Felton to run point.
The total has gone over in the last five meetings.
Betting on the Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers were on to a fast start to the season, beating the Sacramento Kings 111-104 on Wednesday night. Blake Griffin led the way with 33 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Chris Paul was the capable court general he always is with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
The game also featured the debut of key offseason acquisition Paul Pierce, who had a solid outing with 12 points and seven rebounds. Pierce was especially clutch near the end of the game, nailing a crucial three-pointer to give the Clippers the lead late in the fourth quarter. He would add another basket to give Los Angeles the lead for good with 2:20 left in the game.
Pierce was solid in two games against the Mavs last season while with Washington. He averaged 13 points on 50 percent shooting and five rebounds per game. But expect Griffin to once again be dominant in this game, especially bodying up to the Mavs’ aging veteran in Dirk Nowitzki. Griffin only played one game against Dallas last season, scoring 22 points while adding seven rebounds and six assists.
This game isn’t just about Western Conference rivals. It’ll also mark the Clippers’ first meeting against the Dallas Mavericks, who center DeAndre Jordan almost signed with in the offseason. Expect Jordan to be prominent in this game. He was dominant in the frontcourt against Sacramento on Wednesday night with 12 rebounds and four blocks. Having Jordan locking down the paint should help keep Dallas’ Zaza Pachulia from dominating the boards.
The Clippers have won four of their last five games against Dallas.
