The Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to three games with an emphatic 133-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Eight players scored in double figures for the Clippers who moved to within a half-game of the Utah Jazz for the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings.
The Clippers will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they lock horns with the Dallas Mavericks later tonight. For the Clips to accomplish that feat, they will need to continue their excellent play on the offensive end. They’re averaging 118.3 points over their last three games. They displayed their offensive prowess in the win against the Lakers, shooting an incredible 53.6 percent from the field. The Clippers are sixth in the NBA in scoring, averaging 108.3 points per game this season.
One guy who needs to step up for the Clippers in the upcoming clash against the Mavs is Blake Griffin. He’s averaging 21.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game this campaign. Since returning from knee surgery, Griffin has added the 3-pointer to his offensive arsenal. In his last 19 games, Griffin has nailed 39.2 percent of his outside attempts. He will look to bounce back from his atrocious performance against the Lakers, wherein he scored just 12 points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field.
The total has gone over in the Clips’ last four road games.
The Dallas Mavericks came crashing back to earth on Tuesday as they absorbed a humiliating 112-87 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Heat had difficulty stopping Klay Thompson who scored 23 points on 5-of-8 shooting from deep. With the defeat, the Mavs have now lost two of their last three outings.
The Mavs will look to get their season back on track when they square off with the Los Angeles Clippers later tonight. For Dallas to grab the all-important victory, it needs to improve on its play on the offensive end. The Mavs shot just 35.9 percent from the field on Tuesday as they failed to reach the 100-point mark for the fourth time in their last 10 games. The Heat are 0-4 during this stretch when they fail to hit triple digits so it’s crucial for head coach Rick Carlisle that he gets Dallas’ offense going quickly against the Clips.
It’s paramount for the Mavs that Harrison Barnes rediscovers his shooting stroke against LA. The Iowa native looked a bit fatigued in the loss to the Warriors, scoring just five points on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor. Barnes, who has played every single game for Dallas this year, including all the exhibitions, is averaging a team-high 19.6 points per game. He averaged 23.0 points and five rebounds in the Mavs’ first two meetings with the Clips this season.
Dallas is 7-3 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Clippers (-5.5) not only win but also cover the spread against the Mavs.
