The Los Angeles Clippers humbled the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1, as they scored a 109-97 win on Monday to get to an early 1-0 series lead. Will the Clippers double their series advantage over Dallas with another win this Wednesday? Or, will the Mavs fight back and level the series before going back home for Games 3 and 4?

Catch this game live on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 10:00 AM, Manila time

Away: Dallas Mavericks (0-1)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Luka Doncic
  • Kyrie Irving
  • Derrick Jones Jr.
  • P.J. Washington
  • Daniel Gafford

The Mavs fell flat on their faces in Game 1, with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic getting little help from their teammates. Irving had 31 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Doncic had a game-high 33 points to go with 13 boards, six dimes, and a steal. Obviously, those numbers were not enough to tow Dallas to a win in the series opener largely because of the lack of support for the team’s top dogs. 

For all the talk about Daniel Gafford being a key weapon for Dallas against the Clippers, he was only able to gather three points in 14 minutes. Derrick Jones Jr. started in Game 1 and mustered zero points in 18 minutes. Hopefully, for the Mavs, things will get better for them in Game 2. Dallas is 19-13 straight up and against the spread this season in games after a loss and 

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Home: Los Angeles Clippers (1-0)

Projected Starting Five:

  • James Harden
  • Terance Mann
  • Amir Coffey
  • Paul George
  • Ivica Zubac

Kawhi Leonard could miss another game, but based on how the Clippers played in Game 1, they will be competitive in this series at the very least even without The Klaw. It helped the Clippers a lot that Ivica Zubac came up huge for them. Zubac had 20 points and 15 rebounds, playing his role perfectly as a complimentary piece around the healthy LA stars.

 “We’re going to be very good any time Zu is playing at that level,” Paul George said of Zubac after the win. Speaking of George, he finished with 22 points on a little salty 8/20 shooting from the floor, while James Harden led the pack with 28 points along with eight assists. Harden can still play and break down elite defenses, as shown in his Game 1 performance. The balanced Clippers attack on Monday could be the start of a trend for LA, which is still waiting for Leonard to be healthy.

Picks

Spread: Los Angeles Clippers  (+2.5)

Over/Under: Over (218.0)

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