The Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers both return to the court in this intriguing matchup. Will the Mavs claim another win in LA? Or, will the Clippers extend their win streak?

Catch this game live on Sunday, November 26, 2023 at 11:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Dallas Mavericks (10-5/6-3 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Luka Doncic
  • Kyrie Irving
  • Derrick Jones Jr.
  • Grant Williams
  • Dwight Powell

Dallas is back to its winning ways after victimizing the Los Angeles Lakers on the road last Thursday, 104-101. The Mavs lost to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Sacramento Kings in consecutive games prior to that win against LeBron James and company, and a little bit of rest seemed to do the trick for them. 

With the Thanksgiving Day break and another day of rest this Saturday, Luka Doncic and the Mavs don’t have to worry about fatigue heading into Sunday’s contest. They are also not traveling either with their next game still in La La Land. Dallas’ defense has been much maligned this season, and it probably deserves to be, as it is just 24th in the league with 119.1 points allowed per game. However, the Mavs just held the Lakers to only 46.4 percent shooting from the field and limited Anthony Davis to just 10 points on 4/10 shooting. 

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Home: Los Angeles Clippers (6-7/4-1 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • James Harden
  • Paul George
  • Terance Mann
  • Kawhi Leonard
  • Ivica Zubac

The Clippers appear to have finally turned a corner. After losing six games in a row, Kawhi Leonard and the Clips have racked up three consecutive victories, including two straight versus the San Antonio Spurs last Tuesday (124-99) and Thursday (109-102). Now the Clippers return home where they have lost just once in five games there this season, thus far. 

Moreover, the Clippers have covered the spread in three home games this campaign. Los Angeles’ offense during its current win streak is pretty much similar to the teams’ season average in points. On the season, the Clippers are averaging 113.2 points per game and 113.0 in their last three. Defensively, though, LA has made life harder for its last three opponents, who averaged just 100.3 – second-best in the NBA in that span. Facing arguably the worst team in the league twice in that stretch certainly helped boost LA’s numbers on defense, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Clippers are one of the best defensive squads in the NBA.

PREDICTIONS:

Spread: The Mavs (-1.5) cover the spread.

Over/Under: The total (237.5) hits the Over.

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